Prince of Heart II
by TLSoulDude
Summary: Sequel to POH. A year has passed and a dark force is active. Their target-the treasure of all treasures, which can grant wishes to whoever finds it. And Sora and co. are the only ones who can stop them. SoKai and Roxine. Current World: Halloween Town
1. Prologue

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

**???: Who am I? Are you SURE you wanna know? The story of my life isn't for those who are faint of heart. If someone told you that I was just your average, happy-go-lucky guy without a care in the world…THEN YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHO SAID IT SO I CAN KICK HIS SORRY BUTT! Seriously, I am J. I have a reputation to keep and some moron's calling me happy-go-lucky?!…Ah, forget it. But this, like any story, is all about a girl. Wait. Wrong line. Ah, I'll just let the story speak for itself.**

**Music was playing and dates were dancing in a gymnasium. It was the Junior Prom at Destiny Island High School. Normally a time of love and joy…except for a certain blonde boy in his early teens at the punch bowl.**

"**Reload." The blonde said, slamming a punch glass on the table.**

"**Uh, you DO know this is the punch-bowl, right?" the soda jerk asked.**

"**YES!" the blonde shouted, almost spastically, "JUST RELOAD IT!"**

**The blonde's name was Ryan Syrus, the hyperactive superhuman who could fly, shoot energy blasts, and run super-fast when the sun was out. The soda jerk filled up Ryan's cup again, which the latter downed in a single gulp.**

"**Reload." Ryan said again.**

**A person much older, apparently nineteen, sat next to Ryan. He had shoulder-length black hair that he had spiked in the back. He was wearing garbs that he dubbed "formal", but wouldn't look out of place at a funeral: a black tux with a black button-up and tie underneath. He had black hair, a leather glove on his right hand, and a pair of sunglasses. He didn't give his real name, because it was "too dangerous", but asked people to simply call him J.**

**  
"Hitting the punch pretty hard there, kid." He said, using his friendliest term for Ryan (the others being 'Syrus' and 'pest'), "Are you sure you'll be able to get home tonight?"**

"**Go away." Ryan moaned, taking a sip from his punch glass.**

"**Y'know, if you're too punch drunk, I could…"**

"**I said 'go away'." Ryan growled.**

**J stayed silent before asking, "What's wrong?"**

"**It's just I couldn't get a date to the prom." Ryan admitted, "I mean, some of them even hung up before I could ask! I EVEN ASKED KAIRI TO GO WITH ME AS A FRIEND!"**

"**A desperate man's move." J said to himself. A thought popped into his head as he asked, "Where is she anyway?"**

"**She's with Sora on the dance floor." Ryan answered, slamming his head on the table and seeming very interested in the tablecloth.**

**A thought occurred to J and he asked, "You didn't ask APRIL, did you?"**

"**Nah. She's been a bit clingy with Scott." Ryan replied, his voice muffled. Scott and April were two other superhumans who were involved with the death of a universal threat known as Diamond. Scott was Australian and could change his anatomical structure at will and April could fly without wings or any form of powered flight. Ryan then continued, "I caught 'em making out once…" he shuddered at the thought, "That's gonna traumatize me for life, I just know it."**

**A teenager around J's age sat down to join the two. It was starting to become the bachelor's table. The boy had shoulder-length, silver hair and aqua green eyes that peeked out from under his bangs. THIS was one of the Key-wielders known as Riku. The others were Sora and Kairi.**

"**Hey, guys." Riku said, taking a seat next to Ryan. He also sighed as he supported his head on a hand, his elbow on the table.**

"**Don't tell me YOU couldn't get anyone, Mr. Chick-Magnet." Ryan groaned, finally looking up from the table.**

"**Oh no." Riku replied, "Girls were virtually BEGGING me to go out with them and I just didn't like any of them." Riku perked up as he spotted a girl walking towards J. She had black hair tied up in a bun with chopsticks going through it, bangs that covered her right eye, and a black dress that revealed quite a bit of her bust. "J, heads' up." Riku warned.**

**J sighed out of slight irritation; this girl had been bugging him since he arrived on the island. He kept his back turned as the girl, who he knew as Lulu, arrived. Wakka always had an eye for Lulu, but he could never pluck up the courage to ask her, because she looked a little picky. Tidus poked fun at this whenever he could.**

"**Hey, J." Lulu said, her voice actually sounding a little hopeful, "No one's interesting here, do you wanna…"**

**J knew what was coming and cut Lulu off in mid-sentence, "No."**

**Lulu seemed a bit shocked and snapped, "I didn't even say any…"**

"**No."**

"**So, you know what I'm think…"**

"**Yes."**

"**Well, what number am I…"**

"**Six." J looked around, then spotted Wakka at another table and an idea crossed his mind. "Look, I'm not your type, Lulu." He said, in what could have been an apology, "But if you want my opinion, I'd try that guy over there." J gestured at Wakka, "He's a little shy, but once you get to know him, he's a nice guy."**

**Lulu looked between the two, then shrugged and walked over to Wakka. Ryan stared in disbelief and asked, "Incidentally, J, how did you…"**

**J was quick to answer Ryan's question. "Some people are incredibly predictable."**

**Ryan stammered before demanding, "ARE YOU SAYING THAT I'M…"**

"**Yes."**

**Ryan simply banged his cup on the table before saying, "Reload."**

"**Look, Ryan, I can't tell you when the person you love will come." J said, "But I CAN tell you that you will find her sooner or later."**

**J then picked up a punch glass. Riku got one, too, and held it out.**

"**To a hopeful future?" Riku asked.**

**Ryan and J tapped their glasses to his in a toast before downing their cups.**

_On their latest adventure, Sora and co. will visit 19 worlds. Three from the KH series, twelve based off Disney Movies, three from non-Disney movies, and one of my own creation._

J

The mysterious, shapeshifting outcast. He's been sulky, dark, anti-social, and short-tempered for many years, starting when a man broke into his house, killed his mother and father, injured him, and leveled his house. His sister went missing soon after. Through unexplained events, he wound up with Scott and Ryan. When the three were shipped off to Camp Greenlake, J escaped…leaving Scott and Ryan, because Scott needed a better grip on when and when not to use his powers. J later returned and joined the group. While travelling with the group, J steadily revealed his past to Sora and Kairi (not directly to each other) and gave them prods in the right direction for their love to get a good start. He admits to having a small hand in their relationship. He defeated the Crystalli, Peridot, and helped hold off an entire army of Crystalli. He has the ability to change into the physical form of any animal or person he touches, save two things—crimson eyes and his same voice. It's hard not to feel some sort of pity for him. His entire life, he's thought that the people he loved would one day let him down or die on him. He even lost the love of his life, Maria Walker, and their unborn child. He sulked into the picture in _Prince of Heart_.

Ryan Syrus

The solar-powered hyperfreak. He can fly, run at half the speed of sound, shoot beams of semi-pure sunlight, and fly at similar speeds…but it's only when he's in sunlight. He's hyperactive, fun loving, and a bit of a clown. Still, he's an extremely loyal friend to Scott Highflier (who views him as a little brother) and April Goodeve. J, not so much, seeing as the anti-hero insults his intelligence and punches him. Despite his somewhat comical nature, Ryan was the person who defeated the Crystalli, Ruby. Ryan was shipped to Camp Greenlake with Scott and J and was left with Scott when J took off. He moved to Destiny Island after the defeat of Diamond. He ran in at _Prince of Heart_.

Riku

The Key Wielder of Darkness. He originally opened the door to darkness, which swallowed his entire world. He walked, foolhardily, into the door to darkness and was quickly recruited by Maleficent. He was then possessed by Xehanort's Heartless and used as a puppet to fight Sora. Riku managed to break free and help close Kingdom Hearts and prevented a massive invasion of Heartless. He then fought through Castle Oblivion, defeating his demons and the Organization XIII members Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion alike. He fought Sora's Nobody, Roxas, and lost. He returned in the form of Xehanort to defeat Roxas and keep an eye on him. He was returned to his original form when Ansem the Wise's machine malfunctioned and exploded, killing the scientist. He helped Sora defeat Xemnas before being returned to Destiny Islands. During the early part of Diamond's war, his entire right hand, Keyblade and all, was turned into solid crystal. He soon found that it was spreading to his entire body, but it was stopped due to five Pure Hearts. He defeated the Crystalli, Sapphire, and helped fight off an army of Crystalli. He made his first appearance in _Kingdom Hearts_.

Lulu

A resident of Destiny Island High, Lulu is the island's resident Goth. Wearing black whenever she can, she has an annoying habit of showing a lot of her bust and often carries around a Moogle doll. She tried asking J on a date only to get the big N-O, but she seems to be doing fine with Wakka. She first appeared in _Final Fantasy X._


	2. After Diamond

Chapter 2: After Diamond

**Sora brushed the spikes out of his eyes. He enjoyed the prom last night, dancing with Kairi.**

About a year ago, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, the four superhumans, and his great-grandson destroyed the tyrannical Crystalli, Diamond. He'd never forget that experience—afraid that he, or the people he loved, would get killed. To help them was the Elder Crystalli, Quartz, who held the crystal Pure Heart. The said Crystalli kept moving between Disney Castle and Destiny Island, but considered the latter his new home.

Sora reminded himself that Quartz chose Destiny Island because his old home fell apart after their latest adventure. By stabbing the Pure Heart, Sora may have killed Diamond, but set off a chain reaction that destroyed Quartz's homeworld. It was a necessary sacrifice to ensure the safety of the universe.

Still, the adventure had its plus sides—he was now romantically involved with Kairi, the Princess of Heart who could wield a Keyblade. He used to deny the fact repeatedly, but now he admitted it with pride.

Sora picked up a picture that had been taken of the recent Blitzball team—himself, Riku, Wakka, Tidus, and Ryan (who had found that he was excellent at the game). Next to it was a Keychain, which looked like an eagle's feather. He picked it up and summoned the Ultima Weapon (KHII-style, I find it more intricate that the first one). He placed the feather on it, experimentally. In a flash of light, the Keyblade was altered.

Its teeth were three bronze feathers with red tips, its hilt was a long, brown pole, and a pair of eagle wings surrounded the hilt. THIS was the weapon of his choice for his great grandson—the Eagle Feather Keyblade. He quickly replaced with the Keychain for the Ultima Weapon for unknown reasons.

He then walked out to the beach for some relaxation.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

J kicked himself off a couch and held his hands out in a defensive pose, ready for anything.

"Bein' on the islands 'aven't made you any less paranoid, I see." Commented an Australian-sounding voice.

"Oh. It's you." J simply said.

The person was Scott Highflier, Australian anatomy-changing superhuman. He was a year younger than J (yet a bit taller), with untidy brown hair, which he usually covered with an Aussie hat. The Aussie was wearing a khaki jacket over a black T-Shirt with a pair of military camo pants, a pair of crocodile skin boots, and an Aussie hat clapped on his head.

"What can I say?" J asked.

"Nothin' you 'aven't said before." Scott replied.

"I've been chased all my life." J snapped, "From the Android and HIM…" J's eyes narrowed as he glowered to the side, as though expecting this unknown attacker to attack him from the side.

"J, the bloke was caught in the Heartless Invasion of Hollow Bastion." Scott pointed out, "No way he could've survived that."

"And I survived situations that most people would think would end in death." J replied, "But I'm still here."

"Well…the guy's not exactly you, but hey." Scott said with a shrug.

"How're things going between you and April?" J asked, changing the subject.

Scott took off his hat and scratched his head. "Ah, she's a bit homesick, but other than that, we're doin' fine." Scott replied, putting his hat back on and leaning on a Paopu tree. He then grabbed onto the trunk, kicked off his boots, and began to scale it. J watched as the Aussie's feet morphed until they resembled the foot of a chimpanzee. He clambered to the top of the tree and waved his arms, as if signaling something…which he was.

In a few seconds, a girl at Scott's age, give or take a few months, swooped out and caught the Aussie out of the tree and into the air. She was wearing a black short-sleeve shirt and a pair of khakis. Long ago, she had exchanged her sandals for shoes, which were comfy even without socks.

J heaved a sigh. He hated when he saw two people who loved each other. Not the people who were doing it—deep down, he was happy for Scott and April. Just seeing it made him feel sad. It reminded him of the fact that he HAD loved…and lost. He lost the girl he loved…and his unborn child with her. He concentrated and shifted into a black snake before slithering off.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Kairi walked down the stairs, at eight o'clock at night. She sat down on the couch and felt something brush her leg…something scaly. She yelped in surprised, but a trail of thought touched her head, like someone was speaking to her through thought.

_Oh, did I startle you? Sorry._ The scaly thing was a snake that was almost six feet long and as black as ebony. Kairi could identify that it was her cousin, because the limb-less reptile had crimson eyes. It gave what could have been an apologetic look, then quickly slithered away. Kairi huffed. J again.

"You need a place of your own, J." Kairi said as she rolled off her bed. This was the fourth time this month that she caught him in her house! She didn't even bother to ask Riku or Sora.

Unofficially, J lived with Scott, April, and Ryan, but that changed nothing. Ever since he moved to Destiny Island, he never stayed in the same house twice in a row. And he often walked in, in this case slithered in, uninvited. He was lucky that he didn't have to go to school…yet: after quick testing at Destiny High, the shapeshifter was officially a graduate and was currently looking for a college on the larger of the islands.

In the blink of an eye, J was back to his human form. He slipped his shades off; something he did VERY rarely, save in front of Kairi or the other superhumans. "I don't have a home." He said, in response to Kairi's little objection, "But I do need a phone. Do you mind?"

Kairi shook her head with a slightly irritated sigh. And with that, J walked off to the kitchen for her phone. Though it wasn't in her nature, Kairi couldn't help but listen in on him.

"Hello, Sora." J said, his dark voice still apparent, "When do we meet next?…I told you before, we meet at the beach at noon." A pause, then J said, "Be there. And be sure to tell April as well." He then hung up.

A while after the defeat of Diamond, Sora and April both came to J to learn martial arts. Sora wanted to learn how to fight without the Keyblade, and April didn't want to be a handicap in battle anymore. J didn't really complain, admitting that their training was much needed.

"J?" The shapeshifter turned to Kairi, who was still standing just at the corner. "Do you think she's out there somewhere?" she asked.

J didn't respond, rather he looked at a nearby window to look at the starry sky of night. "I don't think." He responded, much to her surprise, "I know she's out there, waiting for me." J's gloved hand clenched into a fist slightly. "When I do find her, I'm going to protect her with my life this time…I won't let ANYONE harm her."

Kairi knew that J was talking about his long-lost sister. J hadn't seen her since someone killed their parents, gave J a small scar, and left the entire house leveled.

"J…" Kairi said, gently putting a hand on top of her cousin's gloved one. Even through the leather, J could feel the warmth of his touch. "We'll do what we can to help you find your sister." She said, sympathetically, "But you have to calm down and be patient."

J seemed to give it a thought, then finally moved away from the window. He walked for the door and opened it, leaving without a word. He had to get rested before his appointment after all…

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Future Destiny Island…

A boy with auburn hair that streamed into two spikes of sorts in the back but had a trident-formation in the front walked down the path. This was Sakuzy. He was Sora's great-grandson, so he had a lot to live up to. But he had natural talent, which was why he excelled in the Key-bearer order.

"Hey, Sakuzy!" shouted someone.

Sakuzy glanced around to see three of his best friends—the excitable, yet intelligent Joey, who had been Sakuzy's friend for many years (in an alternate future, he failed to use the powers of darkness and created the fun-loving Nobody, Joyex). The other was his silver-haired love interest, Maya. Their families had been friends for many years, so the two got off on the right foot instantly. They started out as friends, then best friends, and eventually lovers. The third person had a face of stone and a head without a trace of hair. He wore a green mesh shirt under a steel-colored jacket and a pair of shorts with several looping belts. His name was Depth, assigned to protect Sakuzy by their master.

"Hey, guys!" Sakuzy said, waving them over.

"Hey, Sakuzy." Joey replied.

"Guess what we found." Maya suggested. She reached into her pocket, then pulled out a scrap of old parchment.

Sakuzy took it and looked over it, quickly. He then glanced over to his friends and asked, "What does it mean?"

"A trip to the past." Depth said, voice still as cold as ever.

Sora

The Keyblade's Chosen One. Nearly three years ago, his island was destroyed and he wound up in Traverse Town. He joined with Donald, the King's court mage, and Goofy, the King's captain, to find his friends, Riku and Kairi. He traveled from world to world, sealing Keyholes as he went. He fought Riku on more than one occasion—once when he lost the Keyblade and once when the latter was possessed by "Ansem". He defeated the Heartless named Ansem and lost a year for some reason. When he woke up, he played a major role in the defeat of Organization XIII. It was then when he was reunited with Riku and Kairi. After the defeat of Xemnas, he was returned to the island with Riku. Soon after, he went out on yet another journey to restore King Mickey and Queen Minnie, who were turned into statues of diamond. On the way, he met up with his great grandson, Sakuzy, the half-hearted Nobody, Joyex, the anatomy-changer, Scott, the shapeshifter, J, the solar-powered hyperfreak, Ryan, and Scott's flying love-interest, April. They then met the Elder Crystalli, Quartz, who told them that the real leader was Diamond, a tyrant Crystalli. Due to his bravery, Sora helped destroy Diamond by doing a Balance Drive. He is now romantically involved with the Princess of Heart, Kairi. He began saving the day in _Kingdom Hearts_.

Kairi

The original princess of Hollow Bastion and one of the seven Princesses of Heart. She lost her heart, which hid inside Sora, when the Islands disappeared. Sora kept seeing flashes of her in different places (be it Deep Jungle or Traverse Town). She remained in a comatose state while her heart was gone, which made it easy to get her to Maleficent. Sora returned her heart when he stabbed himself with the Dark Keyblade and she brought him back when he became a Heartless. After Ansem was defeated, Kairi was returned to the islands. Due to the power of her Nobody, Namine, Kairi lost her memory of Sora, but couldn't help but wonder if he was real. She never gave up, though. She jumped into the darkness to escape the Organization member, Axel, but was soon captured by the Organization to use her to enrage Sora into destroying more Heartless. She soon escaped and merged with her Nobody, Namine, just as Sora's Nobody, Roxas, merged with him. She accompanied Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Sakuzy, and Joyex in fighting the Crystalli and struck up a close friendship with the shapeshifter, J. Sora originally thought that she loved the shape-changing outcast, but it turned out that the two were actually cousins. She helped Sora and Quartz defeat Diamond. She is now romantically involved with Sora. She made her debut in _Kingdom Hearts_.

Scott Highflier

The Australian anatomy-changer. He's the polar-opposite of J, which might be why they're good friends (opposites attract, you know). He is able to change his anatomical structure at will, but he can't give himself more bones or extra limbs. He and J understand each other, because they've been through similar experiences—J's family was murdered and Scott's father took him into the Outback and left him for dead. While J became a loner, Scott became a team player. Scott found Ryan in Twilight Town, half-dead, and soon joined up with J and April Goodeve. The three were soon caught and sent to Camp Greenlake, where he took up the name 'Squall', after Leon, who he had previously met in Traverse Town. Scott and Ryan eventually planned their escape with Caveman and Zero. Scott and Ryan joined Sora and co.'s group and April talked the Aussie into taking her with them. Scott was a bit reluctant at first, but soon folded. Their combined efforts defeated the Crystalli, Emerald. He wrangled in at _Prince of Heart_.


	3. Return of Quartz

Chapter 3: Return of Quartz

J grabbed Sora's oncoming fist and quickly twisted it around the latter's back. J then moved his mouth closer to Sora's ear and said, in barely more than a whisper, "The good news is you've got strength without a Keyblade. The BAD news is you're slow, clumsy, and obvious."

"I know that." Sora growled, frustratedly, "DON'T rub it in!"

J released Sora's arm and beckoned again. While he was clad in his usual wear of black hoodie, gray shirt and jeans, Sora and April were dressed differently. Both were wearing lightweight clothes that wouldn't weigh them down: sleeveless shirts and shorts. They also wore no shoes, going barefoot on the sandy beach.

This time, April took a swing at J, who blocked with his forearm. J ducked under another swing and the girl almost lost her balance, having put too much weight into the swing. J swept the ground with his foot and April landed on her back in the sand.

"Balance is the key to a good fighter." J pointed out, "Either learn to not put as much weight in your blows, or stop training."

April groaned as she got back on her feet, rubbing the spot where her back hit the ground. "I'll definitely be learning that…" she groaned, painfully.

On his next attempt, Sora certainly did better than his first try. He threw a punch, which J evaded, but followed up with another attack that also missed. But Sora wasn't aiming to hit J, he was aiming for progress…and he was getting the hang of hand-to-hand combat, thinking of it as swordplay without a sword and a shorter range. A punch was a stab, a chop was a swing, and a block was a block no matter what.

Sora continued a steady flow of attacks until J decided there and then to end the fight. He ducked under a punch, seizing Sora's arm in the process. He stood sharply, actually lifting Sora on his shoulders and bringing the Keyblade Master onto the sandy shore with a gentle "thump".

J put a finger to his chin, then actually admitted something good. "Hm…you've certainly improved, but you still have room for a little more." J suddenly spun and seized April around the forearm. The girl had obviously tried to ambush him from behind. "Don't do that again. It's not going to work."

April nodded her understanding and J released his firm grip on her hand. "I'm going to feel that in the morning…" she said, massaging the spot where J grabbed her.

"There's a little thing about ambushing enemies; it's not usually going to work." J pointed out, his eyes closed behind his sunglasses, "Your enemy is most likely going to find you first, so I'm teaching you to be prepared."

J sat down on the sand and Sora and April were soon to follow. It was usually like this: J would teach them a few fighting skills, then teach them about the mind of a warrior. It was what helped him survive when he was a rogue.

"A fighter mustn't show fear in the presence of an enemy." J said in a serious tone, "If you do, they will take advantage of it."

Sora knew to take the shapeshifter seriously, for he had fought countless times in his fight for survival. He also didn't want the Saix incident to happen again; some villain taking advantage of him through those he loved.

"Also, don't hesitate." J added, "When the time comes, just act. Sometime, you may have to cut out your heart to do what's right." At THAT phrase, Sora felt a little uneasy, remembering a time when he really did do that. J slowly stood, then said, "You're free to go."

Sora stood, then stretched to get a crack out of his back. "Well, thanks for the lesson." He said, knowing he probably wouldn't get a response from the shapeshifter, "I have to be somewhere now." The Keyblade Master wiped sweat off his brow, then went out on his way.

April watched Sora leave, then turned to J. "I have to go, too. Scott worries if I'm not back by three." She explained. When the shapeshifter nodded, confirming what she told him, she hovered into the air.

April was about twenty feet up when she spotted something in the sea just a few yards from the shallows. She skimmed the waters, snatching the object from the surface and returning to the shore. When she touched down, she studied the object: a bottle…with a piece of parchment inside!

"What is it?"

April almost jumped at the sound of J's dark voice. But when she saw him, she calmed down a bit, then held it up. "I think it might explain why Quartz is late."

It was true. Quartz had gone off for business at Disney Castle, but hadn't come back in a month. Usually, the giant Crystalli was only gone for a week or two, now he was gone for at least twice that long.

April opened the bottle, then popped the note out and read it, J reading over her shoulder. Both of their eyes widened.

"Oh my god…" April said in shock, while J simply remained silent, "We have to find Sora and the others. Looks like we have work to do…"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora walked down the stairs upon hearing someone rapping, violently, on the door. He opened it and saw J of all people.

"We've got work to do." J said, getting to the point, "Meet us at the seashore with Kairi and the others." J then took off before Sora could ask anything else.

"O-kay, that was weird…" Sora said to himself as he closed the door, "But I better get prepped. This could be serious." So, without further hesitation, Sora raced to his room and dressed in something better than the clothes he wore for his little training session. He would have gone with his Drive Clothes, but over the last year, he had actually outgrown them, so he decided to improvise.

NOW, Sora was wearing a red t-shirt with a black, short-sleeved jacket over it and a pair of long jean shorts. He did, however, keep his large shoes. Sora didn't know why, but he just liked them.

When he got to the shore, he found that, sure enough, his friends were waiting for him. "Hey, guys." He said as he caught up to them, "What's up?"

Kairi was now wearing a sky-blue tanktop. She had an indigo sweatshirt with its sleeves wrapped around her waist and now wore a pair of jean shorts similar to Sora's.

Riku wore a black sleeveless shirt now, and he had a band on his right wrist. He, again, was the only one of Sora's friends who wore full-length pants. A noticeable difference was that he had gotten a haircut…though his hair was still VERY long: shoulder-length. Oh well, at least he wasn't looking out from under his bangs like a sheepdog.

Ryan was now wearing a red t-shirt with a sun symbol on the upper-right side of his shirt. His hair was a little messier than it used to be, but some things never changed. He still wore his blue jeans and sneakers, which surprisingly didn't wear down after being sprinted on for several weeks.

J turned on Sora's arrival, then held out the piece of parchment in the bottle. Sora took it and read it aloud.

_Sora,_

_I just found out some grim news and I need your help. I cannot go into further details in case someone intercepts this letter._

_I'm sending Quartz to your islands and he should arrive shortly after this message is sent. I will meet you at Radiant Garden, where I will explain what's going on._

_-Mickey_

Sora's eyes widened as he read the message, then he looked up at everyone to see that they were either shocked or stern in the face. He read it over again and said, "So that's why Quartz is late. He probably wanted to help Mickey in any way he could."

"When should he arrive?" Kairi asked.

"Now." A voice replied. They looked up to see a familiar white Gummi Ship shift into a form that was at least twenty-five feet tall. It was covered in smooth, milky-white crystal. It had glowing, blue eyes, a small spike in the back of its head, a pair of antennae on the top of his head (which resembled a helmet), and a pair of expertly carved arms and legs. They all knew him as Quartz—the Crystalli who helped Sora and co. fight Diamond a year ago.

"QUARTZ!" they all shouted…save J, who simply said it.

"What took you so long?" Sora asked.

"I was held up at Disney Castle." Quartz replied, "Mickey told me to take you all to Radiant Garden as soon as possible. He'll meet you there."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Riku asked.

Quartz nodded before shifting into his Gummi mode and beamed Sora and co. up into his interior. While getting to his room, Sora smiled. _Sora and friends are back on another whirlwind adventure…_

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Unknown World…

A group of twelve figures wearing black cloaks were watching the events unfold on Destiny Island.

"I still say we should've blasted that alien out of the sky." One of the figures said in a high, female voice.

"So did I." Another figure said in a sly, masculine tone, "But you don't hear ME complaining about it."

"And I say that the Crystalli's armor would've been too strong to destroy." A third figure pointed out in a deep voice. His back seemed to have two growths in its middle, though.

The fifth figure simply remained silent, sitting cross-legged in its seat and not moving.

"Yo, Bulex!" the sixth figure barked in a rapper-esque tone, "Now ain't the time for snoozin'!"

"He's NOT sleeping, you imbecile!" a seventh figure barked, using a thick, European accent, and his voice rang with a strange, robotic buzz. He was the tallest at well over seven feet tall and the very sound of his voice made the previous member jump back in fright.

"Goxryu." An eighth figure said, his voice coaxing the strange thing, "Play nicely.". As opposed to the person he addressed as Goxryu, this one was one of the shortest. Yet his voice was deep and dark, like a cave.

"He's right." A ninth figure, who was slightly shorter than Goxryu, agreed. He then said, murderously, "Let ME kill that annoying little bug!"

"I don't think that Boss would enjoy having us rip each other apart." The tenth figure said in a somewhat irritated, feminine voice.

"Incidentally, boss," the eleventh and shortest of the twelve figures (even than the eighth member) said, in a high, scratchy voice, "How many members have died BEFORE I joined?"

"Three." The leader replied in a low, barely audible voice.

"Uh…how'd they die?" the eleventh asked.

"One died trying to protect me and the other two died because we have a few murderous psychopaths in our group." The leader simply stated. He pointed to the figure known as Goxryu and a twelfth figure, who was hunched over like an old man, "Namely, those two."

"The traitor was sniffing about." The twelfth figure snarled in a voice that reminded people of raw meat, dead animals, and anything else best left untouched. He also put a good deal of emphasis on the S's, somewhat like a snake, but not entirely.

"I've heard that excuse before. That's why you've been demoted to number twelve." The leader simply stated. He then pointed to the second, third, eighth, and ninth members, "Yaxm, Xeydin, Ohryx, and Xiklub. Your teams will go in and wait for the group."

"What about you?" The second member, Yaxm, asked.

"I'll be directing." The leader simply replied.

The four addressed vanished in portals of darkness. They would wait for Sora and co. at Radiant Garden…

April Goodeve

Scott's love interest. She's caring and always thinking about others. She's one of the few people who can tolerate Ryan (save a few punches). She possesses the natural ability of unassisted flight. She thought Scott and the others were dead when they were shipped off to Camp Greenlake, though she soon found out that they were alive. She joined the group on their journey and helped Scott defeat Emerald in the battle against Diamond. She first appeared in _Prince of Heart._

Quartz

An elderly Crystalli who came to Sora and co. after Joyex changed the timeline. He showed that not all Crystalli are evil, just the ones controlled by Diamond. Quartz is very wise in the ways of battle and of life alike. He may be old, but he's an excellent fighter with the ability to shift his hand into blasters or laser swords. He defeated the Crystalli Shogun at Land of the Dragons and was the only person who could actually go toe-to-toe with Diamond. It was thanks to him that Sora defeated the tyrannical Crystalli. He first appeared in _Prince of Heart._


	4. First Encounters

Chapter 4: First Encounters

Radiant Garden…

Sora and co. took in the new form of what was once Hollow Bastion. It was now a glorious city, though small parts still resembled the Heartless World that it had once became. J smirked.

"Just like I remembered it." The anti-hero said.

"Same here." April replied.

"Too bad I can't remember it." Kairi finished.

"Can't say that I remember it." Scott said, "I was raised in a world called Mugwomp. I was sent to Traverse Town after it fell into Darkness. That's where I met Ryan, J, and April. We then went to Hollow Bastion and found others like us. We had to fight off some Heartless, but that was it."

"Hey!" Ryan shouted, "We were in that dang Heartless invasion!"

"Oh, right. I forgot." Scott replied.

"HEY, EVERYBODY!" someone shouted. Everyone except J jumped as a man in his late teens, if not early twenties, popped out of nowhere. He had white hair that looked like an albino porcupine was nestled on his head, violet eyes, and a wide smile on his face.

"Hey, Crescent." Everyone greeted in unison.

"Boy, you pick up quickly." Crescent commented, "Nice to see ya, Sora, Carrie, Rikku, K, Spock, May, and Brian!"

"That's KAIRI, Riku, J, Scott, April, and Ryan." Kairi pointed out. Sometimes this ninja was so annoying…

Crescent was almost the same as they left him, save a new wardrobe. Now his suit was black with silver moon-patterns emblazoned on his chest. He gestured at a band of cloth tied onto his midsection.

"Like the new duds?" Crescent asked, "The belt helps with holding shuriken. Now I don't need to keep 'em in my pockets! I got sores on my butt almost every day!"

"Uh…yeah." Sora said, "Does Vincent want anything?"

"Nah. I just came to tell ya that the king will be arriving in a few chapters!" everyone simply stared at Crescent. The nin with a mouth sighed before saying, "Jeez, you'd think after an entire fic, TLSoulDude would've cured my whole 'breaking the fourth wall' deal, but NO." Crescent, on seeing the weird look on their faces, remained silent for a while, then broke it by saying, "Well, see ya!" He ran away in a streak of black.

"Did anyone get what he was talking about?" Sora asked.

"No." Riku answered.

"What now?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know about you, but I have someone to visit." J grunted. He walked away to the east side of town.

Riku almost went after J, but Sora stopped him. "Let me. I know where he's going." Sora suggested, walking after J.

"He's off to visit Maria." Kairi finished.

"Well, see ya!" Ryan said, taking off at high speeds.

"Subtlety's still not the little guy's strong point…" Scott said. He glanced over to April and simply said, "Let's go."

April took Scott's left arm and the two walked away.

"I'll be going, too." Riku said. He jumped off to the nearest rooftop and began jumping. If the king was anywhere in town, he wanted to find him there and then.

Kairi sighed. One moment they were together, the next they split up again.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

The four cloaked figures were sitting in meditative poses. The first one, the girl, stood up.

"Because the boss isn't here, I'm in charge." She said, "I'll go after the two mutations, Xeydin…"

"We're not exactly the people to be calling others mutations." The second figure, Xeydin, pointed out.

"Whatever." The first figure scoffed, "You'll deal with the Dark-wielder. Ohryx will deal with the Key-wielder and the dark one."

"With pleasure." The shortest figure, Ohryx, said.

"And Xiklub will deal with the princess." The woman finished.

"I barely saw her and she already ticks me off." The final figure, Xiklub, said, voice filled with malice, "Can I kill her?"

"Feel free, Xiklub." Ohryx said, his eyes closed under his hood, "But try not to overdo it. After all, your methods tend to attract attention."

"No promises." Xiklub responded.

"Let's go!" Xeydin shouted. They all vanished.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora found J at a graveyard. He saw J place a bouquet of sunflowers at the tombstone under the tree, which was where the headstone of Maria Walker's grave rested.

"Visiting Maria again?" Sora asked.

J simply nodded.

"Well, you haven't been here in over a year." Sora said.

J huffed before turning around. He made to leave, but suddenly wheeled around and stuck a fist through a Dusk Nobody which just appeared without so much as a sound.

J recognized the white husks and his eyes scrunched behind his sunglasses. "Those things we fought in Ivalice…"

"Never thought I'd see them after that!" Sora growled, summoning his Keyblade. The two took off into the crowd of Nobodies, which had gathered as silently as their vanguards.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Ryan soared above the skies. He loved flying. It always made him feel like nothing could contain him and he could just stay in the air forever. He then saw an army of white going towards someone. The creatures were Nobodies! The thing they were after—a blonde girl around Ryan's age.

"HOLD ON!" Ryan shouted, speeding towards the Nobodies. A pair of sun balls appeared in his hands and he tossed them into the Nobodies, which exploded. Ryan landed next to the girl, who was now staring wide-eyed at them.

"How'd you do that?" she asked in amazement.

"I…uh…I dunno." Ryan replied. J always tried explaining how Ryan had his powers, but the hyperfreak never paid much attention. Science class was never his best subject.

"Probably the same way I got this." The girl shrugged before running at the Nobodies. Ryan was about to shout a warning, but in a flash of light, the Nobodies were torn to ribbons. The girl turned around and showed what was in her hand.

Ryan could barely believe his eyes. In the girl's hand was…

"Is that a Keyblade?" Ryan asked.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Riku jumped from roof to roof. He always had the best reflexes between himself, Sora, and Kairi.

He glanced over at Radiant Garden and sighed. This place had so many memories…and not all of them good.

"You're a bit stiff." Riku halted in his procession and Way to Dawn flashed into his hand. He turned around to the source of the voice…and saw nothing.

"No, you're not crazy. Because I'm right here."

Riku turned to his opposite side and still only saw no one. "Where are you?!" he called out, his Way to Dawn still at the ready.

"Look down."

Riku approached the building's edge and looked down its wall to see a cloaked figure standing on the wall of the building. Yes, he was STANDING. He looked no different than if he was walking on the floor. He walked up the wall like a kitchen floor and actually stepped onto the roof, where he stood in front of Riku.

"Who are you?" Riku asked, his brow raised in suspicion.

"Me?" the cloaked man asked, gesturing to himself, "I'm nobody worth mentioning, but…"

The figure removed his hood to show that he was a man in his early twenties. His hair was brown and the bangs stood up like grass, and the man had hazel eyes, though they hardly looked friendly. He grinned, showing that some of his teeth were abnormally filthy and Riku also took time to notice that there was a pair of earrings on each of the Nobody's earlobes.

"My name is Xeydin—Number Three of the Seekers, known as the Memory Assassin."

"Didn't you say you were nobody worth mentioning?" Riku asked, the Way to Dawn still clenched in his fist.

"Well, I AM a Nobody. Hence the strange name." Xeydin replied, almost casually, "I've been sent to viciously attack you, so you'd better pull out that Keyblade. I'll be attacking you in about three seconds."

Riku gave Xeydin a funny look. Was this guy insane or…

Xeydin sprung at Riku and clasped his hands on the Dark User's temples.

"Now, you'll see why they call me the Memory Assassin!" Xeydin said, a sick smile on his face. Riku felt a searing pain tear through his head and he screamed as he felt like something hot and made of metal was being shoved, slowly, into his skull.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Scott and April walked through the streets. It was very pleasant to be walking around without any psychotic superhuman hunters (like the Android) chasing them. At this point, they were just your average couple.

That is, until…

"Boy, you two look cute together." The two started when someone commented on them, then wheeled around to see a woman in a black cloak.

"Not to be rude," Scott pointed out, "But I don't think it nice of people to simply blab about stuff like that."

The woman sighed in mock-frustration. "Oh, I'm TERRIBLY sorry. Forgot about the intros." The woman apologized. She removed her hood and blonde hair that split down the center like a songbird's tail fell down to her back. She had eyes like purple lightning and a sadistic smile on her face. "I'm Yaxm. Number two of the Seekers. I'm also known as the Savage Siren. No need for you to introduce yourselves, I know who you are, Scott Highflier and April Goodeve."

THIS was a whole new level of weird. This…Seeker knew her name AND Scott's? "The Seekers?" April asked, squinting at the new girl.

"A group of small-time Nobodies." Yaxm replied, "And when I say 'small-time', I mean big-time, super-powered ones. Twelve in all."

"Why're you here?" Scott asked, glowering at her from under his hat.

"To kill, if not, injure you." Yaxm answered, casually. She pulled out a pair of sai and wielded them in an expert martial-artist's way before pointing them at the two. "Come on, if you dare." She challenged.

Scott caused two bony growths to come out of his wrists and he pointed one of them at Yaxm. "I was about to say the same thing." Scott stated.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Kairi felt the ground shake as a figure approached her. She saw that he was wearing a black cloak and was about six foot-three. She took a step back and the figure stopped to sniff the air.

"Fear." He said in a low, growling voice. He looked over at her, then addressed her, a gaze able to pierce the darkness of his hood. "You stink of it."

Kairi took another step back, Flowering Strength flashing into her hand in an instant. "Who are you?" Kairi asked, not exactly liking the sound of this…thing, "Some stalker?"

"Far from it." The figure replied, "I am Xiklub, number nine of the Seekers. Known to many as the Bloodlust Soldier."

Crescent

The nin with a mouth. He's an insane ninja who works for the Restoration Committee East Side, under Vincent Valentine. He has enhanced reflexes and a healing factor thanks to Maleficent's experiments after pulling him out of a Gummi Ship headed offworld. She then labeled him as psychotic after the testing took its toll on Crescent's mind and tossed him into a prison lab. He then escaped and joined the Restoration Committee. He has the ability to break the fourth wall, which makes most people think him even crazier. He's infatuated with Yuffie, but she doesn't feel the same to him. NOT one bit. His purpose in life is, apparently, drive his fellow member, Blader, off the deep end. He first appeared in _Prince of Heart._


	5. Memories as Weapons

Chapter 5: Memories as Weapons

The figure removed his hood to show that he was a man in his early twenties. His hair was brown and the bangs stood up like grass, and the man had hazel eyes, though they hardly looked friendly. He grinned, showing that some of his teeth were filed to points and Riku also took time to notice that there was a pair of earrings on each of the Nobody's earlobes.

"My name is Xeydin—Number Three of the Seekers, known as the Memory Assassin."

"Didn't you say you were nobody worth mentioning?" Riku asked, the Way to Dawn still clenched in his fist.

"Well, I AM a Nobody. Hence the strange name." Xeydin replied, almost casually, "I've been sent to viciously attack you, so you'd better pull out that Keyblade. I'll be attacking you in about three seconds."

Riku gave Xeydin a funny look. Was this guy insane or…

Xeydin sprung at Riku and clasped his hands on the Dark User's temples.

"Now, you'll see why they call me the Memory Assassin!" Xeydin said, a sick smile on his face. Riku felt a searing pain tear through his head and he screamed as he felt like something hot and made of metal was being shoved, slowly, into his skull.

"Let's see…" Xeydin said, his eyes now glowing a malevolent violet color, "What could I use?" He started, as though he had found something valuable and smiled, maliciously. "Oh! THIS is a good one!"

Xeydin slowly pulled his hands away from Riku's temples and a small stream of pale blue light followed his fingertips. Riku gasped for fresh air; THAT was one of the most painful things he'd experienced in his life.

Xeydin maneuvered the light in his palms, his hands moving like he was doing some kind of enchantment. The light focused into an orb before it froze in place, then lengthened into a long spear with a blade-like head. The strangest thing about the weapon was that it was the same material he pulled out of Riku's head.

"What the heck is that thing?!" Riku demanded, still clutching his head from the pain.

"Memory." Xeydin replied, twirling the spear around in his hand like a baton, "I can, literally, pull a memory out of someone's head and change it into a weapon." Xeydin then swung the spear over his head and stopped it to point it at Riku like an accusing finger.

Riku shook the pain out of his head, then pointed the Way to Dawn at Xeydin. The fight began in the blink of an eye…

Xeydin jumped up and swung the spear down only to meet Way to Dawn. Riku swung, but then Xeydin pulled quite a stunt. He placed his feet on Riku's Keyblade and jumped away at lightning-speed. He got a good distance away, then hurled the spear at Riku like a javelin. Riku managed to dodge the blow, but so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair.

The Memory Assassin burst towards his spear only to meet Riku, who slashed at him, catching the Nobody across the chest. Xeydin tumbled backward, but was on his feet in seconds, his hand lightly touching his wound.

"That all you got?" Xeydin challenged, a malicious grin on his face.

"No." Riku answered, his Keyblade raised up and to the left, "I'm just getting warmed up."

Xeydin sprinted for his spear again, but when Riku swung at him again, the Memory Assassin jumped clean over the swipe and landed right behind the prince of darkness. Xeydin plucked the weapon out of the ground and swung it at the Dark-wielder like it was some kind of bo staff. Riku ducked under it, but felt the blade graze his shoulder, drawing blood.

Hurt, but not fatally injured, Riku fought back. He thrust out his hand and cast Dark Firaga. A silvery fireball shot through the air like a bullet, but Xeydin wasn't worried. He jumped in the air, in a corkscrew spin, and avoided the attack as though he had seen it before. He landed in front of Riku, who swung at him with Way to Dawn only to meet the spear's shaft. The two exchanged blows that rattled them to the bone, but when Riku maneuvered Xeydin's spearhead away, the assassin brought the blunt end of the spear across Riku's face. Riku staggered sideways and quickly raised his sword so that Xeydin's weapon smashed into his own.

The Seeker flipped back to the building's edge, his spear still at the ready. He slowly circled around Riku as they tried to search for a shatterpoint. Xeydin, however, had already found one.

"You wanna know which memory I got this from?" Xeydin asked. Riku didn't answer, but that didn't stop the Nobody. He continued anyway, "When you tried to destroy your best friend and gave in to some kook who said he could make you stronger."

"SHUT UP!" Riku spat, "I'VE MADE UP FOR IT!"

Xeydin clicked his tongue. "Oh, I know that." he replied, "I've examined your memories. I think it's safe to say I know you better than you know yourself."

"And I know you're insane." Riku shot at him.

"Ah, but what is insane?" Xeydin asked, his spear now in a passive position, "The fact that I take pleasure in causing pain and suffering…OR the fact that you were once a traitor?"

"I SAID 'SHUT UP'!" Riku barked, charging the Nobody and slashing at his chest. The blow didn't make contact, because Xeydin jumped away…right off the roof. Riku dispelled his Keyblade and simply said, "Good riddance."

"Have you forgotten already?"

Xeydin sprung off the wall and Riku suddenly remembered that the Memory Assassin could cling to walls. He cursed himself for forgetting something so soon.

Xeydin's jump brought him straight over to Riku. He landed on the Dark Wielder's chest, driving him into the ground and winding him. Xeydin then positioned the spearhead so close to Riku's neck that the wielder of darkness could feel the cold steel…or whatever it was, against his throat.

"See ya." Xeydin chuckled. He pulled the spear back, as if to drive it through Riku's trachea, killing him, but…

"XEYDIN!"

Xeydin stopped immediately and stepped off Riku's chest, even removing his spear. Riku staggered up and saw that the Memory Assassin was standing in front of another hooded figure.

"I told you that I would be the one to kill him!" the figure snapped, causing Xeydin to actually take a step away from him.

Xeydin immediately "Sorry." Xeydin apologized, bowing slightly, "I got…carried away. You know, with the fighting, the taunting, and the memory seeking…"

Riku noticed that the spear dissolved into the same pale blue light and flew into Riku's ear. He felt a small itch, but it soon died away. Riku glanced over to the cloaked figure.

"Who are you?" Riku simply asked.

"I don't remember YOU being in this conversation." Xeydin pointed out.

"Silence, Xeydin." The figure commanded.

"Shutting up." Xeydin mumbled.

The figure walked over to Riku and removed his hood.

"I am YOUR Nobody!" the figure snarled, "My name is Kurix, Number One of the Seekers. My underlings call me the Enraged Shadow."

Kurix's hair was just like Riku's, only black as raven feathers, which made him look like a combination between the Dark-wielder and J. There was also a jagged scar running down his right eye. He scowled at Riku, and that caused the dark wielder to wonder if he had ever looked like that in the eyes of Sora.

"When you fell into darkness, I was created." He snarled, "But, I soon found that Darkness existed in me because it was in you! But, unlike you, I had no heart to contain it! That's how I got this…" Kurix brushed his scar, a "BECAUSE OF YOU, MY LIFE HAS BEEN RAVAGED BY DARKNESS! YOU WILL PAY!"

Kurix summoned a Keyblade. Not just any Keyblade. The Dark Keyblade Riku used while Xehanort was in control of his body: the one which could unlock hearts. He probably would have sprung at Riku, but Xeydin grabbed his shoulder.

"Boss, now's NOT the time." Xeydin hissed, "We still need to find the pieces. THEN you can kill him."

"What pieces?" Riku asked.

Xeydin cocked an eyebrow at Riku. "As if we're telling." The assassin chuckled.

"You'll find out soon enough." Kurix snarled. He then glanced over to Xeydin and asked, "Your partner?"

"Dealing with the anatomy-changer and his flying girlfriend right now." Xeydin replied.

"Let's go. Yaxm can take care of herself." Kurix grunted.

"See ya." Xeydin said with a mock-friendly wave to Riku. Then the two vanished in swirling darkness.

Riku just…stood there. He had a Nobody and it wanted to KILL HIM. A figure then landed next to Riku and swore, loudly.

"DANG! I MISSED THEM!"

"Hey, Sakuzy." Riku greeted. He knew that voice well enough.

The figure had blue Drive clothes, like the last time Riku saw him. Only, this time, he had dispensed with his red scarf. His hair was a shade of auburn and streamed backwards, save in the front, where a trident was formed. THIS was Sora's great-grandson from the future.

"Oh, hey, Sakuzy. How're things going?" Riku asked, dusting himself off.

"A heck of a lot better than last time." Sakuzy replied, "My friends are back and the Crystalli invasion's just a bad memory now."

"How do YOU remember it? When we killed Diamond, all Crystalli activity stopped." Riku asked.

Sakuzy opened his mouth to answer, but in the end, he couldn't. "Uh…I'm still working on that." Sakuzy replied. He then said, "Anyway, we're needed at the Restoration Committee's base. Leon and the king want a few words with us."

Riku then followed Sakuzy as the Futuristic Keyblader walked away.

Xeydin

Number Three of the Seekers, known as the Memory Assassin. He, literally, pulls memories out of peoples' heads and turns them into weapons. The more unpleasant the memory, the better the weapon he gets. He seems a bit comical before fights, but it quickly turns to mild insanity when he does get to fighting. Who knows what else he could do with his powers?

Kurix

The leader of the Nobody group called the Seekers, known as the Enraged Shadow. When Riku fell into Darkness, this guy was created. Unlike Riku, he had no heart to contain the darkness inside him and he got a nasty scar across his right eye because of it. He wields the dark Keyblade, which can unlock peoples' hearts. All the rage and hate has turned him into one nasty piece of work…

Sakuzy

Sora's great grandson from about a hundred years in the future. He came back in time with the Nobody, Joyex, to stop the Crystalli from coming to Destiny Island. He wields the Eagle Feather Keyblade and has his own SPECIAL style of Aeroga. He killed the Crystalli, Amethyst, but to avenge the death of his old friend, the Crystalli named Aquamarine. He became a Crystalli and tried killing Diamond. The result was a near-death experience on his part. Despite this, he still fights for justice. He first appeared in _Prince of Heart._

_I have voices for the two Seekers in this chapter—for Xeydin, it's Topher Grace. He played Venom in Spider-Man III. And for Kurix, it's Sam Witwer. He played the Secret Apprentice in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. If you have any better ideas, I would like to hear them._


	6. Fear and Command

Chapter 6: Fear and Command

Scott and April walked through the streets. It was very pleasant to be walking around without any psychotic superhuman hunters (like the Android) chasing them. At this point, they were just your average couple.

That is, until…

"Boy, you two look cute together." The two started when someone commented on them, then wheeled around to see a woman in a black cloak.

"Not to be rude," Scott pointed out, "But I don't think it nice of people to simply blab about stuff like that."

The woman sighed in mock-frustration. "Oh, I'm TERRIBLY sorry. Forgot about the intros." The woman apologized. She removed her hood and blonde hair that split down the center like a songbird's tail fell down to her back. She had eyes like purple lightning and a sadistic smile on her face. "I'm Yaxm. Number two of the Seekers. I'm also known as the Savage Siren. No need for you to introduce yourselves, I know who you are, Scott Highflier and April Goodeve."

THIS was a whole new level of weird. This…Seeker knew her name AND Scott's? "The Seekers?" April asked, squinting at the new girl.

"A group of small-time Nobodies." Yaxm replied, "And when I say 'small-time', I mean big-time, super-powered ones. Twelve in all."

"Why're you here?" Scott asked, glowering at her from under his hat.

"To kill, if not, injure you." Yaxm answered, casually. She pulled out a pair of sai and wielded them in an expert martial-artist's way before pointing them at the two. "Come on, if you dare." She challenged.

Scott caused two bony growths to come out of his wrists and he pointed one of them at Yaxm. "I was about to say the same thing." Scott stated.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Kairi felt the ground shake as a figure approached her. She saw that he was wearing a black cloak and was about six foot-three. She took a step back and the figure stopped to sniff the air.

"Fear." He said in a low, growling voice. He looked over at her, then addressed her, a gaze able to pierce the darkness of his hood. "You stink of it."

Kairi took another step back, Flowering Strength flashing into her hand in an instant. "Who are you?" Kairi asked, not exactly liking the sound of this…thing, "Some stalker?"

"Far from it." The figure replied, "I am Xiklub, number nine of the Seekers. Known to many as the Bloodlust Soldier."

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Scott sprung at Yaxm, intending to impale her on the spike jutting from his wrist. Yaxm, however, used her sai to catch the spike, crossing them in an "X" formation. She pushed with them until she was getting ever closer to him.

"So, yer little knives are tougher than they look." Scott grunted, straining against the Nobody's strength.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that they're a little more than strong." Yaxm replied, a sadistic grin on her face.

Scott was puzzled as to what she meant, but then noticed that the sai were glowing with a bright light. "Crikey, should've seen that comin'." Scott growled.

The sai continued to glow bright yellow until they exploded in a burst of energy and the force of the blast sent Scott flying backwards. He coughed to get some soot out of his mouth. His shirt was burned, but he didn't seem to be injured.

"Glad I made an extra layer o' bone under me skin AND made it fire resistant." Scott said, dusting himself off, "Otherwise, I'd be a pile of ashes."

"Lucky is more like it." Yaxm snorted, her sais still at the ready.

April then flew into Yaxm's midsection, plucked her off the ground, and placed her feet in the Savage Siren's midsection. She drove the Nobody into the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Yaxm regained her composure and simply asked, "Is that all?"

"Not even close to it." April scoffed. She then used some of the martial arts J taught her. Her foot flew to kick Yaxm's jaw, but the Nobody caught the blow. April's fist made contact with Yaxm's nose, making a sickening crunch. Blood spurted from the Nobody's nose. April had broken it.

"Miserable hag." Yaxm spat, mouth filled with blood.

Scott grabbed Yaxm by the neck and swung her to the ground.

"NEVER insult her in front of me." Scott hissed.

Yaxm spat out some more blood. She had to use it—her ace in the hole.

"_You don't want to hurt me. Let me go…_" She said, her voice oddly distorted, as though someone else with a deeper voice had spoken at exactly the same time.

Scott's grip increased slightly, but there was a strange look in his eyes. He seemed to be increasing his grip, not out of aggression, but confusion.

"_Let me go._" Yaxm repeated, her voice sounding a little more forceful.

Scott did so. For some reason, he just couldn't say "no" to that voice. Whatever it said, he had to obey it.

"Scott, what're you doing?" April asked in disbelief.

Yaxm smiled as she rose to her feet, then pointed at April. "_Take her out._" she said with the same distortion in her voice.

"No…" Scott growled, but he could already feel his body working against his mind.

"Scott…" April said, now starting to get a little scared.

"_Take her…_" Yaxm said, a seductive smile on her face. Obeying her orders, Scott made a spike of bone spring from his wrist.

"TOO SLOW!"

Something suddenly wrapped around Yaxm's feet, snapping them together, and pulled tight. The sudden loss of balance caused the so-called Savage Siren to trip and lose her focus. The result was that Scott froze in place, then collapsed.

Yaxm turned on the ground, then spotted what had tripped her: it was a chain with a Keyblade's tip. It had four spikes as the key's teeth and was mainly a small projection of steel. It retracted, unwrapping itself from Yaxm's legs and returned to its original position, which was to be fitted on the red handle of a Keyblade.

The Keyblade's owner was a young man with untidy brown hair that was tied back in a small ponytail. The boy smiled a humorous grin over to April and the flying girl could have sworn that she saw a hint of a long-erased Nobody that she and many others knew a year ago…

"Hi!" the boy greeted, shaking April's hand, "My name's Joey and I'm the guy who saved you!"

"Uh…" April said, smiling a nervous smile, "April. And thanks for saving me."

"For the moment…" Both April and Joey turned at the sound of Yaxm, who was now getting back to her feet. She pointed at Joey with a commanding finger. "_Take that Keyblade you're holding and stab yourself with it._" Yaxm snarled in the distorted voice.

For a while, Joey was a bit unsure of what to do, then shook his head. "Nah. I don't FEEL like it." Joey said, pointing his Keyblade at her.

Yaxm's mouth hung open in shock, then she clenched her teeth in fury as her sais flashed out of existence. She was soon to follow.

"O-kay, why'd she disappear all of a sudden?" April asked in confusion, "She didn't even try to fight back…" glanced over to Scott, who looked disoriented.

"WHAT were you doing?!" April demanded.

"What WAS I doin'?" Scott asked.

"You let her go and looked ready to attack me!" April shouted.

"I dunno." Scott replied, "I…just couldn't control meself. She told me to let 'er go, and my body did just that. It was like…like she could control me."

"Well, I'd like to continue this interesting story, but the king's kinda expecting us." Joey said. Joey jumped off and called to them, "Follow me if ya can!"

Scott looked at the ground, then over to April. He sighed with regret before saying, "Sorry, April. I didn't mean to let 'er go and nearly attack ya."

"It's okay, Scott." April said with a nod, "You couldn't help it."

Before the Aussie knew it, April kissed him on the lips. Their little moment of bliss was ruined when a voice rang through the air. "Hey, lovebirds!" Joey shouted, "Quit making out and come on!"

Scott and April jumped, ending the kiss in an instant, then went off after Joey.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Kairi barely jumped out of the way of an oncoming blow from the hooded Xiklub. She summoned the Keyblade she received from Riku—Flowering Strength, and swung it at Xiklub's face, but the man grabbed the blade and pulled it towards him. Kairi struggled, but soon found her neck in the hooded Nobody's other hand. Now that she was in the grip of this person, she felt her heart pumping faster out of…

"Is that FEAR I smell in you, Princess?" Xiklub asked, as though he could feel her heartbeat. "Then FEED IT!" his voice filled with malice as he shouted again, "FEED IT! It gives me PLEASURE! SCREAM!"

"NOT IN YOUR LIFE!" Kairi screamed, but this Xiklub guy was right: she was VERY frightened of him. She lashed out with her Keyblade and caught Xiklub across the chest, tearing his black cloak slightly.

"So, you've got a bit of fight in you?" Xiklub commented, looking down at his torn robes. He then looked up at Kairi, who could sense a foul smile on his face, even with his face shrouded. "I LIKE THAT!"

"Then you're gonna love me." Growled a low voice. At precisely the right time, someone came out of the blue and delivered a punch to Xiklub's face, sending the muscular Nobody to the ground.

Kairi regained her balance as she tumbled free of Xiklub's chokehold, then recognized the familiar bald head. "YOU!" Kairi exclaimed, pointing her Keyblade at the newcomer.

This person certainly looked like Aquamarine, the nautical Crystalli, but there were several key differences. He wore a gray, sleeveless jacket over a mesh shirt and had on military cargo pants.

"I saved your sorry life and THIS is how you say thanks?" the non-Crystalli "Aquamarine" growled.

Kairi lowered her Keyblade slightly and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Aren't you Aquamarine?" Kairi asked.

"Aquamarine" cocked his head to one side in slight confusion before asking, "What're you talking about? My name is Depth."

A sudden cackle cut the conversation as Xiklub picked himself up off the ground and tore off his cloak. His hair was a shocking shade of purple, curving upward at the sides before terminating into sideburns (like Wolverine!). Under his robes was nothing but a bare chest, which had black tattoos designed onto it, and a pair of warrior pants. The tattoos looked like scars that Xiklub had received from a battle with a ferocious beast.

"COME AND GET ME!" Xiklub snarled with an insane grin. Kairi cringed when she saw that the Nobody's teeth were triangular and sharp, like spearheads.

"I was hoping you'd ask." Depth snarled, summoning a very large Keyblade that took two hands to hold it. Its teeth were designed to look like the symbol of Omega, which was also its hilt and keychain. He pointed it at Xiklub like an accusing finger and grunted, "Feel the wrath of the Omega Weapon!"

Depth jumped in and swung his Keyblade down. Xiklub summoned a unique-looking weapon. It was a star blade of sorts, looking a bit like Yuffie's shuriken only with curved blades. He used one of the four blades to intercept the blow and smiled. Depth then swung his Keyblade in a full circle and held his Keyblade up.

"Thunder." Depth hissed.

Instead of the usual lightning bolts, a disk of electricity began to pulsate in the Omega Weapon's teeth. Depth then swung the Keyblade down and the disk flew at Xiklub. The Nobody jumped to spin in a corkscrew fashion and tossed his star blade at Depth before charging at the bald Keybearer like a bull. Depth only had time to block the oncoming blade and ready a defense when Xiklub grabbed onto the Omega Weapon with one hand.

Depth growled in slight fury. He was one of the strongest Keybladers when it came to fighting and brute force, but THIS guy was…something completely different. He grabbed onto Depth's Keyblade with one hand and twisted it around as if it were nothing. Another movement of his arm created an uppercut that sent Depth into the air. When Depth came crashing down, Xiklub caught his star-blade and shifted something in its middle. The four blades turned into a pair of dual-sided swords, which he crossed at Depth's throat like a pair of scissors.

"Forgetting someone?" Kairi growled, pointing her Keyblade at Xiklub before shouting, "LIGHT!"

A beam of light hit Xiklub in the small of the back, but rather than grunt or scream like other Nobodies did, the Bloodlust Soldier roared in pain like an animal. THIS was enough distraction for Depth to grab his Keyblade and bring it in a vertical slash. Xiklub, however, was faster than he looked when it came to recovery grabbed the Keyblade again and swung Depth into a wall.

He then snorted before saying, "It's not worth the time…"

Xiklub vanished as Depth regained himself.

"I wanna kill him." The bald Keybearer snarled.

"Why're you here, Depth?" Kairi asked.

"I'm here to bring YOU to the castle. The King wants a few words with you." Depth replied.

Kairi uneasily nodded, then said, "Okay…Lead the way." Kairi said. He did.

Yaxm

Number 2 of the Seekers. Also known as the Savage Siren. She's sadistic, seductive, and…just plain weird. She wields a pair of sai, which can explode (doing no damage to herself), and has the power of persuasion. When she gives a command, people just can't say 'no'. However, it doesn't work on women or people with strong wills.

Xiklub

Number 9 of the Seekers. Also known as the Bloodlust Soldier. The two words that describe him are as follows—psycho killer. He's insane, always hungry for a fight, and loves shedding blood and making people suffer. He wields a giant star blade, but he hasn't even shown his full potential. Who knows what else he's capable of?

Joey

One of Sakuzy's friends from the future. In an alternate timeline, he tried using darkness, but it backfired and he became the Nobody, Joyex. Joey is playful, wisecracking, a bit of a smart aleck, but still surprisingly intelligent. He wields the Chain Thrasher Keyblade and his fighting style involves a lot of choreography and acrobatics.

Depth

Sakuzy's unofficial bodyguard. In an alternate timeline, during the Crystalli Invasion, he took a Crystalli Shell meant for Sakuzy, turning him into the Mariner Crystalli, Aquamarine. NOW, it's completely different. He's still cold, emotionally withdrawn, and hard as nails, but he's concerned about the safety of the person he protects. He wields the Omega Weapon Keyblade and has the most brutal fighting style of the Keybladers.

_For Yaxm, I have the voice of Kristen Bell. She played Elle Bishop on Heroes. For Xiklub, I have John DeMita. He played Dosu on the Naruto anime dub. And Joey's voice is Drake Bell. Like the last time, I'd like to hear any suggestions if you can come up with anything better._


	7. Time Bender

Chapter 7: Time Bender

Sora found J at a graveyard. He saw J place a bouquet of sunflowers at the tombstone under the tree, which was where the headstone of Maria Walker's grave rested.

"Visiting Maria again?" Sora asked.

J simply nodded.

"Well, you haven't been here in over a year." Sora said.

J huffed before turning around. He made to leave, but suddenly wheeled around and stuck a fist through a Dusk Nobody which just appeared without so much as a sound.

J recognized the white husks and his eyes scrunched behind his sunglasses. "Those things we fought in Ivalice."

"Never thought I'd see them after that!" Sora growled, summoning his Keyblade. The two took off into the crowd of Nobodies, which had gathered as silently as their former.

Sora watched the figures waver towards him, then swung the Ultima Weapon. That single swing carved three in half in one go.

"Showoff." J growled. A Dusk Nobody sprang at the shapeshifter, who was instantly replaced by a snarling Utahraptor. The human-turned-dinosaur jumped onto its attacker and proceeded to tear it to shreds.

"Look who's talking." Sora replied.

J didn't pay any attention to Sora as he shifted back into his human form and brought his fist smashing into Nobody after Nobody.

The fight had just reached its peak when the entire group of Nobodies vanished through portals of darkness. Sora raised an eyebrow, his Keyblade still in hand, and asked, "Why're they retreating?"

J remained oddly quiet, his crimson eyes scouring the place for anything…or anyone. He had just scanned the whole graveyard when a hooded figure appeared through a similar portal of darkness. It was about a head shorter than J, a man judging by his robes, and seemed to show no fear of the two of them.

"Who the heck are you?" J asked, keeping an eye on this guy.

The figure's response was to laugh, maniacally, before saying, completely off-subject, "Oh, how ironic fate can be." His voice was like a cave: dark and deep. "I never expected YOU to forget about me so quickly, and it's only been a year or two. It's an honor, Jason Kayde."

J actually took a step back before demanding, "Who are you?! And how do you know that name?!"

The figure didn't listen, turning instead, to Sora. "And you, too…Roxas." He added with a vile imitation of politeness.

Sora growled in frustration. He had had this problem with the Organization all the time. "My name is Sora." Sora growled.

If the figure was supposed to be impressed, he wasn't. Rather, he shook his head, as though scolding a child. "Different name, same person." The figure responded.

J took a step forward, looking just about ready to burst. "I said, 'WHO ARE YOU'!" he roared.

The figure slowly looked over at the shapeshifter, then reached up and removed his hood. This strange person looked not much older than J, and had facial features that were almost exactly like J's. ALMOST, but not EXACTLY. His skin was pale, as though he had just emerged from living in a dark cave. His eyes were a poisonous-looking green, and had catlike slits for pupils. His hair was shoulder-length, with a few parts on the side pointing backward, black as midnight, had blue streaks along the sides. In a sense, he looked like an older, darker J.

The man walked towards the two in a slow, menacing fashion and answered the shapeshifter's question. "I'm Ohryx, Number 8 of the Seekers. Otherwise known as the Time-Bender." Ohryx turned his head to one side, then asked, "What? Did you FORGET me?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking your name." J responded, coldly.

Ohryx walked over to the two and smiled, sadistically. "I owe MUCH to both of you." He said, holding out his hand so that the palm faced up. "What you gave to me, I return to you—" A small ball of glowing, purple energy appeared in the palm of Ohryx's outstretched hand, which he thrust into the sky. "A one-way ticket to OBLIVION!"

The orb of odd energy flew at Sora. Sora screamed when it touched him, more out of surprise than in pain, and then…he vanished without a trace. J's eyes were glued to where Sora once was.

"What…did you do?!" J snarled, wheeling over to Ohryx.

"Sent him into the future." Ohryx replied, "But don't worry, he's not hurt…YET."

Ohryx spread out his hands and in a flash of dark blue light, a strange weapon appeared in his hand. It looked kind of like a nunchuk, but rather than rods, there appeared to be strange blades. One blade was longer than the other, and J noticed there and then that they looked like the hands of a clock…sort of.

"Now, I have a score to settle with you."

"Did I do something to you?" J asked.

Ohryx gripped both blades in one hand, then held up his free hand. "It seems as if Namine's tampering has affected YOUR memory, too." Ohryx stated, shaking his head disdainfully.

"Who's Namine(1)?" J asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.

"You won't live to find out." Ohryx replied before saying, "Now, where were we?"

Before J even had time to realize the fight had begun, one of Ohryx's nunchuk-blades whistled past him, tearing through the sleeve of J's jacket. J responded by throwing a kick, which Ohryx ducked right under. He launched himself backward to avoid a charging J and landed on a headstone.

J charged after Ohryx, who smiled a sadistic smile and held his two blades out. They actually floated in the air, moving like clock hands and symbolizing time itself. Then, with a flex of his hand, the two nunchuk blades stopped moving. Surprisingly, they stayed in place as everything around him came to a sudden stop.

_Better make this fast…_ Ohryx thought to himself, then seized his chance.

The cloaked figure raced at J and began to strike with near-blinding speed, using well-timed and well-placed karate chops. J stayed frozen in place, even when he was struck. That is until Ohryx decided that he had had enough and snapped his fingers. Time unfroze itself and J growled in pain before tumbling across the graveyard floor.

"How the heck…" J said, clutching his injured side.

"Didn't you pay attention to what I told you?" Ohryx asked, his voice deep and angry, "I am the Time-bender, therefore I can control the flow of time. I simply stopped it and struck."

J staggered to his feet, using a tombstone as leverage, then turned to face Ohryx. "Unfortunately, you're not the only one with an ability…" he pointed out.

To emphasize his point, J convulsed and had turned into a black panther in seconds. If Ohryx was supposed to be impressed at this, he wasn't. "Ah, a young shapeshifter." Ohryx said, still keeping his nunchuk-blade out, "Too bad you don't know the full extent of your power. And besides, this isn't the FIRST time I've seen you do that."

J cocked a furry brow, then shook the curiosity out of his head and sprang at Ohryx with a snarl. The Time Bender, rather than stop time, evaded by flipping into the air and actually used an extended blade to catch J on the arm. J's yelp came out as a panther's screech as he was flung into a tombstone by the blow. J shifted back and took in his injury—a long scar running down his forearm.

"Let's try this again." J growled, turning into a cheetah.

He ran after Ohryx and almost reached him. Ohryx planned ahead. The time-bender placed his nunchuk in the same position he put them in when he made time speed up. Only, this time, the shapeshifter froze in place, ready to strike the Time Bender with a set of cleat-like claws.

Ohryx punched the still figure. Once, twice, thrice, four times he struck. He then removed the nunchuk and snapped his fingers. The cheetah went, careening, backwards and hit the oak tree. J snarled as he changed back.

"FIGHT ME!" J roared, "FIGHT ME DIRECTLY, YOU COWARD!"

"Cowardice is from a point of view." Ohryx said, coldly, "From MY point of view, I'm simply using this power to my advantage…not unlike you."

J sprung at Ohryx once more, but the Time Bender was more than prepared for anything. He merely stopped time, then moved to a safer location before unfreezing it.

"We will meet again." Ohryx stated, almost indifferently, "But I will be expecting a greater challenge, especially from one like you…"

Ohryx flashed a grin that would have made the Devil cower in fear, then vanished in darkness, leaving J to let his blood boil from the anger. The curse that escaped J's lips would have made Cid Highwind blush.

Something about this guy rubbed him the wrong way. For some reason, this Nobody managed to make his blood boil without even trying. The only person who made him THIS angry was the Crystalli, Peridot.

Suddenly, in a flash of purple light, Sora appeared. The Key-bearer was covering his face as if something was flying towards him. He then seemed to get his bearings straight and removed his arms from his head.

"J?!" Sora shouted, running over to the shapeshifter, "Never been happier to see you!"

"Where've you been?!" J snarled, temper still on high, "I've had to fight Ohryx MYSELF."

"What's your problem?" Sora asked.

"Never you mind." J replied. He took a deep breath before asking, in a much calmer tone, "Where'd you disappear to?"

"It's a long story, but I've gotta take you to see the King!" Sora explained, quickly. He tried running away, but seemed to remember something. He halted and turned around to ask, "Before Ohryx sent me to the future, he said the name Jason Kayde. Who was that guy talking about? Who's Jason Kayde?"

J shook his head. There was no escaping it now. "You're looking at him." J replied, darkly.

Sora stared for a while, then spoke. "Your REAL name is Jason…" J quickly covered Sora's mouth before he could finish.

"Shut UP! Whenever I say my real name, HE shows up." J snarled, "Why do you think I didn't say my real name?! Because I didn't like it?!"

J released Sora, who took a deep breath of fresh air. "O-kay, I guess we can talk about that stuff later." Sora said, then headed off to wherever he needed.

Ohryx

Number eight of the Seekers. Also known as the Time Bender. He's a cold-blooded Nobody who enjoys taunting his enemies as well as watching them suffer. As his name suggests, he can control time: he can speed it up, slow it down, or send someone through it. Though he's allied with Kurix, he seems to be operating his own agenda.

_For Ohryx, my voice choice is Dan Green. He did Mephiles the Dark on Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. He was SO scary as that hedgehog-shaped dark god with his deep voice and his harbinger of death attitude._

_For all voice suggestions, if anyone has any better ideas, I'd like to hear them._

_(1) Keep in mind that J never met Namine._


	8. I Am Iron Man

Chapter 8: I Am Iron Man (1)

Ryan soared above the skies. He loved flying. It always made him feel like nothing could contain him and he could just stay in the air forever. He then saw an army of white going towards someone. The creatures were Nobodies! The thing they were after—a blonde girl around Ryan's age.

The girl's eyes, like Ryan's, were a bright blue (though he couldn't tell from the skies). She wore a yellow tanktop with black lining the "sleeves" and the bottom. On her right arm was a black band while on her left was a silvery bracelet. She wore red shorts with heart-shaped symbols embroidered on the pant legs (KH symbol for reference). She also wore knee-high boots similar to Yuffie's, only hers were black with blue lining and souls. Her hair was shoulder length, blonde, and evenly cut, though the front part draped over her shoulders.

"HOLD ON!" Ryan shouted, speeding towards the Nobodies. A pair of sun balls appeared in his hands and he tossed them into the Nobodies, which exploded. Ryan landed next to the girl, who was now staring wide-eyed at them.

"How'd you do that?" she asked in amazement.

"I…uh…I dunno." Ryan replied. J always tried explaining how Ryan had his powers, but the hyperfreak never paid much attention. Science class was never his best subject.

"Probably the same way I got this." The girl shrugged before running at the Nobodies. Ryan was about to shout a warning, but in a flash of light, the Nobodies were torn to ribbons. The girl turned around and showed what was in her hand.

Ryan could barely believe his eyes. In the girl's hand was…

"Is that a Keyblade?" Ryan asked.

"Is that what it's called?" the girl asked, slicing a Nobody in half. Ryan got a good look at it and saw that it was the Star Seeker. Sora had mentioned it before as one of the first Keyblades he got on his second journey. "Kinda fits, I guess." The girl said, studying her weapon quickly.

Ryan then shot a sun-ball so that it disintegrated a Nobody that was approaching her. "Saved your life!" Ryan said, smugly, his hand still smoking. He blew it off like it was a smoking gun barrel.

"I suppose you think you're incredibly clever." The girl replied, flatly. She then hurled her Keyblade in a Strike Raid and wiped out two Nobodies that were swiveling towards Ryan. She smiled as she caught her Keyblade and echoed his words, showing every hint of satisfaction. "Saved your life."

"Oh, real funny." Ryan said, sarcastically.

"I thought so." An odd voice said. It was expressive like a human, but it had a metallic echo in it.

The Nobodies, along with Ryan and the mystery girl, looked around to try and spot whoever spoke. But they hadn't searched for a second when two bursts of blue energy shot down two Nobodies, destroying them in an instant. Following it came an odd…thing. Whether it was a person or a robot, Ryan wasn't sure. It was, however, covered in red and gold armor with blue light coming out of two areas for eyes, its palms, and in the middle of its chest. It was flying due to rockets carefully planted on the bottoms of its feet.

The metallic being turned to the girl, putting a hand on its forehead. "In trouble AGAIN, Mandy?" it asked in a somewhat swaggering voice, "This is, what? The third time this month?"

"Fourth time, actually, my little Man of Iron." The girl replied, acting as though this thing was an old friend.

"That's IRON MAN to you." The being sighed before asking, "How many times do I have to tell you?"

The girl smiled. "Apparently one more than you needed."

Ryan paused before raising an eyebrow. "Mandy, eh?"

"Yup." Mandy replied.

Iron Man blasted away another Nobody with a burst of plasma from his gauntlets. Another Nobody met its fate at Iron Man's fist and another met a small missile before exploding in a blossom of fire. Iron Man walked over to Mandy, each of his footsteps creating a metallic clank. "So, wanna try this again?"

"Sure, why not?" Mandy asked. She then shouted, "IRON MAN!"

"Sure, no problem." Iron Man replied. He thrust out his arms and Mandy jammed her Keyblade into the strange blue orb in his chest. Iron Man held out his gauntlets and shot the repulsers he used three times.

"GIVE ME STRENGTH!" Mandy shouted.

"Armor on." Iron Man said.

Mandy charged the Keyblade with a Thunder Spell, then pulled out her Keyblade as Iron Man's chest began to glow. A second later, an enormous laser burst out of the glowing circle in his chest. The blast of raw energy surged through the air and decimated a group of Nobodies that had gotten too close. In a flash of white light, they winked out of existence.

"They're all yours." Iron Man simply said before turning away. He almost walked away when he stopped at the sight of someone, then pointed his hand at a newcomer—namely, Leon. Out of Iron Man's forearm came what appeared to be a small missile launcher.

"You're a hard man to pin down." Leon said, casually. His Gunblade was nowhere to be seen, so he knew this Iron Man guy was a friend.

"What do you want with me?" Iron Man asked, a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

"A minute of your time." Leon replied, "That's all."

"Ten seconds." Iron Man said, not in the mood to negotiate.

"To make a short job of it," Leon continued, "The Restoration Committee's gonna need a little muscle. Interested?"

As Leon continued, a group of soldiers surrounded Iron Man and pointed their guns at him. The armor-clad man simply sheathed his missile launcher and shoved past Leon.

"I work alone." Iron Man informed. He began to walk away, but pointed an open palm at the soldiers, "And by the way…" he shot a few waves at the soldiers' guns, which began to smoke. The soldiers tried firing, but the guns had been damaged beyond repair. "Stark's sellin' you some lousy guns." Iron Man's jet boots activated and he took off a small distance, then paused in front of Mandy. "Got something for your collection."

Iron Man took off into the sky, but not before dropping a small crystal on a chain into Mandy's palm. She caught it, then put it into a small sack on her belt. Ryan saw, to his amazement, that it was filled almost to the brim with other crystals with different symbols on them…

"Hey, those are Summon Charms!" Ryan exclaimed, "You COLLECT those?!"

"Yeah." Replied Mandy, showing him her collection, "I just think they're cool. They come in handy since these Nobodies invaded."

"Why am I not surprised?" Another female voice asked.

The group saw another flying visitor—namely what looked like a girl version of Riku. She wore a midnight-blue shirt under a white, sleeveless jacket and a pair of khaki jeans. She was flying on a Keyblade with two large, bird wings on it.

"Hey, Maya!" Ryan shouted.

Maya raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. "Uh…hi? But how do you know my name?" Maya asked.

Ryan instantly remembered something. When Diamond was destroyed about a year ago, it was as though the Crystalli invasion had never happened. He mentally cursed himself, then said, "Uh…you looked like the 'Maya' type?"

"O-kay." Maya said, uneasily. She glanced over to Mandy and asked, "You two are chummy. Are you on a date?"

Both took a sudden step back as they registered what the silver-hair had just said. "WHAT?!" the two demanded.

"WE JUST MET!" Ryan shouted.

"Yeah!" Mandy agreed, indignantly.

"Oh…right." Maya simply said, "This is a bit early for that…never mind. Anyway…"

"The king wants you two." Leon finished, pointing at Ryan and Mandy.

"What king?" Mandy asked.

"Oh, don't worry." Ryan assured her, "You'll find out sooner or later."

Ryan began to follow Leon, but Mandy simply stopped him. "Thanks." She said on seeing she had his attention.

"All in a days' work." Ryan replied, smoothing back his hair slightly. He suddenly froze, then looked at his hand with wide eyes. _Why the heck did I just do that?_

"You're…different." Mandy commented.

Ryan chuckled slightly before joking, "You have no idea."

Mandy

A girl who lives in Radiant Garden. She wields a Star Seeker Keyblade, though she didn't know what to call it at first. She helped Ryan take out a group of Nobodies. She collects Summon Charms because she "thinks they looked cool", but it's probably just an obsession. She's a bit on the smart-alecky side and enjoys a good adventure. She said that Ryan was "different". She wasn't too far from the truth…

Iron Man

A hero who showed up soon after Sora and his friends destroyed the Crystalli. He wears a suit of armor and his main weapons are his armor-enhanced strength, repulser beams, and the Uni-Beam. He knows Mandy, because she always seems to have gotten in trouble. His true identity remains a secret…for now. He showed what he was made of in _Iron Man _2008.

Squall "Leon" Leonhart

Leader of the Restoration Committee, along with Vincent Valentine. His squad of the Restoration Committee includes Yuffie Krisagi, Cid Highwind, Tifa Lockhart, and Aerith Gainsborough (before her untimely death). He helped Sora on his travels many times. When he went to Traverse Town, he left the name Squall Leonhart behind, because of his regret of not being able to save everyone in Radiant Garden when it became Hollow Bastion. His main weapon—the Gunblade. He sliced his way into action in _Final Fantasy VIII _1998.

Maya

A descendant of Riku and love-interest of Sakuzy. She was originally the Crystalli, Pearl, but was cured. She joined the group after an incident in Twilight Town (where she regained the Two-Winged Angel Keyblade). However, she died trying (and succeeding) to kill the Crystalli, Turquoise. Probably due to some strange time/space deal, she forgot about the events of POH. She's kind and loving, yet she's still ready to fight when she needs to. She first appeared in _Prince of Heart._

_Iron Man's Uni-Beam._

_For Mandy, I'm thinkin' Miranda Cosgrove. You know the drill on better ideas._

_(1) The theme song of Iron Man. I expect it to be hummed during the hero's debut._


	9. Dark Future

Chapter 9: The Dark Future

Sora and J arrived at the Restoration Committee East Side's HQ. There, they saw the familiar faces of Vincent Valentine, Yuffie, Tifa, Luneth, and the nutball known as Crescent. There were also the newer faces.

There was Petross, the medic whose arms were strong enough to smash through boulders, yet gentle enough to proceed with difficult surgeries. The dark-skinned man was now wearing a sleeveless leather jacket that was a deep green and showed his bulging muscles. He wore boots with metal souls and a metal plate on the toes, and his pants had gone from military camo jeans to jeans. They were of a size that looked unnaturally large. He was still a bit on the hairless side, but he seemed to have shaved his side burns completely, though. Yet hair was slowly growing back as Sora could tell: the top of Petross' head was slightly darker due to the short hair.

Blader had swapped out his red muscle shirt and black pants for a sky-blue t-shirt and silver swishy-pants. Unlike Petross, who was growing his hair back, Blader lifted his helmet to scratch his head. Sora stared at Blader's now-bald head, then stifled a chuckle. But apparently, Blader had heard the kid, because he rounded on him.

"Oh, sure, kid. Ya disappear for a year and you split your sides at the sight o' me." Blader snapped.

Sora caught himself, then managed to ask, "What happened to your hair?"

"Crescent happened." Blader said, jamming his thumb at the local nutcase.

"Guilty as charged." Crescent admitted, holding up a hand. And just as Sora suspected, the ninja had a pair of clippers in his hand.

"He WILL pay for that." Blader mumbled.

Sora noticed his other friends, who had apparently been waiting for him along with… "Sakuzy?" Sora asked in surprise.

Sakuzy turned on being addressed, then smiled at Sora. "Hey, Sora! Long time, no see!" The two exchanged a firm handshake, then Sakuzy asked, "We've been waiting for you and J to show up. What took you so long?"

"It's…complicated." Sora answered, then noticed a few new faces. "Who're they?"

Sakuzy followed Sora's gaze to the bald man and the guy with brown hair. "Oh, they're…" Sakuzy paused, then whispered so that only Sora could hear him, "Ex-Crystalli." He cleared his throat, then introduced, "They are Joey," he gestured to the brown-haired guy, "And Depth," he pointed to the bald guy.

Depth huffed. "The pleasure's all yours."

Sakuzy didn't really like Depth's approach, and to be honest, Sora didn't really like it that much either. "So," Sakuzy asked, "What's happened?"

J stepped forward to answer the future Keyblader's question. "I'm not entirely sure. Someone from a group called 'the Seekers' made him disappear. A few minutes later, he came back as though nothing happened."

"Disappear?" Joey asked, scratching his head of messy, brown hair.

Sora could tell that this was going to be asked a lot. "Okay, but I think it's important that everybody know. So, here I go…"

(Let's wind back the clock a bit…about right where Ohryx used the energy to send him to the past.)

The man walked towards the two in a slow, menacing fashion and answered the shapeshifter's question. "I'm Ohryx, Number 8 of the Seekers. Otherwise known as the Time-Bender." Ohryx turned his head to one side, then asked, "What? Did you FORGET me?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking your name." J responded, coldly.

Ohryx walked over to the two and smiled, sadistically. "I owe MUCH to both of you." He said, holding out his hand so that the palm faced up. "What you gave to me, I return to you—" A small ball of glowing, purple energy appeared in the palm of Ohryx's outstretched hand, which he thrust into the sky. "A one-way ticket to OBLIVION!"

The orb of odd energy flew at Sora. Sora screamed when it touched him, more out of surprise than in pain, and then…he vanished without a trace.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora grunted as he picked himself up, his limbs feeling like taffy. He was still in the graveyard, but something was obviously wrong here.

Sora looked around to see that the headstones of the graveyard seemed to be crumbling, as if they had been there for decades. He glanced up to see that the skies were blackened, and that the sun hadn't risen…maybe there wasn't any at all.

"What happened here?" Sora asked to himself. He heard the sound of breaking glass, then looked down at where he stepped: a picture frame. He tentatively picked it up, then brushed dust off its front with his thumb: the smiling picture of Maria Walker stared back at him.

"WHO'S THERE?!"

Sora quickly stashed the photo in his pocket, then spun around and summoned the Ultima Weapon. He saw two skulking figures lurching towards him. Who they were, he didn't know, for it was too dark to tell.

"IF YOU'RE HERE TO VANDALIZE IT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM ON IT, YOU BLUDGER!" snapped a second voice.

Sora's eyes widened, and he let his Keyblade drop to the side in a passive stance. He certainly recognized the one person who used that word.

"Scott?"

The two figures froze in place before slowly walking towards him. Now that they were closer, Sora could make out who they were. His eyes widened further in recognition: it was Scott and J…sort of.

J looked like he had aged several years, but he was not an old man. He had lost his sunglasses, his eyes as red as rubies, but he still had his traditional black hair. He now had a leather jacket in place of his hoodie and fingerless gloves with metal studs on the back of his hand.

"Sora?" asked J, in total shock that this had happened, "You…you haven't aged a day." J's voice was still dark and somewhat fierce, but sounded more…mature than when Sora had last heard him (1).

Scott still kept his Aussie hat, but it was black in contrast to his usual brown. His unruly hair was now shoulder-length, and he had a thin mustache-beard combo. He was clad in a sleeveless leather jacket and he had a similarly colored shirt underneath. He still had jeans and crocodile-skin boots, though.

"It's him, alright." Scott confirmed, looking equally shocked, "Smells like him, too…though I haven't sensed it in many years." Scott's voice was a whole lot deeper now, though his accent was still very recognizable (2).

"Years?" Sora asked, "What's going on? Why do you look so…" Sora struggled to find the right word without offending anyone.

"Old?" J suggested, catching Sora's attention, "That's what happens when you've been gone for twenty years, Sora."

"TWENTY YEARS?!" Sora shouted, "I've only been gone a few seconds!"

"You were sent forward in time, Sora." J explained, "Ohryx got rid of you, so our mission was a failure before it even started." He looked around, then said, "We have to get you out of here."

J grabbed Sora by the arm and made to tug him away, but the Keyblade Master jerked himself free. "Wait. What happened to Riku? What about the King, Donald, and Goofy?"

"Over there." J said, pointing over to another area of the graveyard.

Sora didn't see anyone at first, but then saw four tombstones lined side-by-side. Sora gasped, then ran for the graves and saw what they read. "No…" he said, not believing what he saw.

Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy…there they were, buried six feet under: lifeless. Their tombstones had their faces carved into them.

Sora fell to his hands and knees at the foot of Riku's grave. "No…" he said, barely restraining tears, but soon he couldn't hold it anymore. "NOOO!!!" He finally fell back to the ground and pounded the upturned soil of Riku's grave with his fist.

"They died trying to save us from the Seekers." Scott explained, "There was nothing they could do." Scott put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Look, I know how it feels to lose a friend." Scott paused for a while, then solemnly said, "I lost April to the Seekers…and Ryan, too."

J strode over to Sora, then heaved him to his feet. "Pull yourself together, Sora. We have to get through this, so quit crying and stay focused!" he growled in a tone to make Sora stop in an instant.

"J, I think that was too harsh…" Scott said, standing up as well.

"No…" Sora admitted, brushing a stray tear off his face, "I have to stop. If there's any way to fix this…I'll do it."

J nodded an approval to Sora, then beckoned him to follow. "We can talk later, but for now, we have to find a safer place. It's too dangerous out here…"

"J?" Sora asked, catching his attention. He pulled the picture frame out of his pocket, then held it out for J. "I found this when I arrived here…" he explained, sympathy in his voice, "I thought you'd like to have it back."

J took the frame, and when he saw the picture in it, he stared in total awe. Sora judged by his expression, that J had not seen this picture for many years. J clutched the picture over his heart, then looked up at Sora with a look as close to gratefulness as the Keyblade Master ever saw him.

"Thank you." He said in a barely audible whisper. He then turned and said, while walking away, "Come on…we can't stay."

Sora paused, then followed the two. They knew what was going on better than he did, so he followed them without question. For a while, they walked through the graveyard until they came to a gnarled tree and a huge boulder.

"So, why'd you take me here?" Sora asked, hoping for more answers.

Scott held up a hand, then brushed dust off the rock to show a kind of marking on the stone. Scott put his hand on the mark, which glowed red before a section of the rock moved to reveal a hidden doorway.

"Whoa…" Sora said in amazement, "So, what'll we be taking to this 'safer place'?" he asked.

"Our rides." J answered as the three entered the doorway.

Scott made very sure to close the door behind him. "Don't want any enemies on our trail."

When the door closed, it was pitch dark, but then a small series of bluish-green lights lit up in a kind of pathway. It was light enough for Sora to see a pair of sleek motorcycles right in front of them. In fact, Sora was so close to one that his shoe almost touched it.

"Wow…you sure know how to travel." Sora said, impressed.

J got on one bike while Scott got on another. After a prolonged silence, J knew that Sora was curious as to how he'd be able to follow. "Take a seat behind one of us." J ordered.

Sora cursed himself for not thinking about the concept, then took a seat behind J. J revved the bike up, then took off down the barely lit path.

After riding for a few minutes, Sora asked, "Wait. If this foe's so dangerous, can't you use your powers to fight back?"

"That's the problem." J answered, "We don't have our powers anymore. I can't change form, Scott can't bend his bones, no superhuman can do anything." J stayed focus, but the tone of his voice depicted anger beyond any Sora had ever seen.

Sora gave serious thought, then asked, "What happened while I was gone?"

Sora didn't have to see J's face to see that this was something he really didn't want to talk about. "The team broke up without you. Shortly into the mission, the Seekers got what they wanted: total control of the universe. They came out of nowhere, depleted most of our numbers and forced all who resisted them underground. Those they caught, they killed."

"That explains why this thing runs underground." Sora said, looking around at the path, "If you tried making something above-ground, they'd spot you."

"Exactly." J said with a nod, he then brought the motorcycle screeching to a halt. "We're here."

Sora looked around, then the room around him went from pitch-dark to a bright white color. The sudden change made him shield his eyes until they adjusted to the light. J and Scott got off their bikes, Sora right behind them, and then J pressed a button on what appeared to be an elevator designator. A door opened up and all three walked in.

Sora instantly recognized one face: a head of white hair that was like an albino porcupine. "Crescent?"

The man turned, then turned to face Sora. The ninja looked almost exactly the same as Sora last saw him, save an eyepatch over his left eye. "Sora!" the ninja said, enthusiastically, "Wow! You still don't look a day over sixteen! Is it that new anti-aging cream?"

"No. I was sent here from the past." Sora explained, not believing that this guy was still as crazy as he had left him. He cocked a brow at Crescent, then asked, "When'd you lose your eye?"

"Lose an eye? No." Crescent said, lifting up the patch to show a very twitchy eye. "I wear this when I can't find my contact lens."

"Oh, is THAT it on the floor?" someone asked. There was a very audible crunching noise, and Sora wheeled to see a familiar metal leg.

"Blader?"

The man in the seat whirled around to see Sora. It was Blader, but the differences were still very prominent. He wore a hat in place of his helmet, a kind of pack on his back, and…was missing an arm and an eye as well as his leg. The resemblance between Blader and John Silver, the pirate that helped discover Treasure Planet, was uncanny.

"Key-Kid?" Blader asked, a scanning laser coming from his mechanical eye. "Wow…haven't seen you in over twenty years."

"What's going on?" another person asked.

Sora turned to the doorway to spot a man in ragged, black clothing, one sleeve longer than the other and torn in several places, and a familiar wolf symbol on his left shoulder. His hair was blonde with several long spikes streaming backward, others up and back. He had a beard-mustache combo of the same color, fierce blue eyes, and a familiar buster blade…

"Cloud?" Sora asked in surprise. He couldn't say he was surprised that Cloud Strife survived the Seeker invasion. The swordsman was tough, after all.

Cloud stared at Sora, then recognized his features. "Sora?" he asked in shock, "When'd you decide to show up?"

"It's a long story." Sora replied.

"No need to explain." Said a dark, gravelly voice. Sora originally thought it was J, but soon found Vincent standing in front of him.

"Vincent?" Sora asked, "You haven't changed…" Vincent stared at Sora before the Keybearer could finish his sentence. "Oh, right." Sora said, sheepishly. He forgot that Vincent was immortal when it came to aging. He looked around, then asked, "Where's everyone else? Quartz? Petross? The Restoration Committee?" A pang went through his heart as he asked one last name… "Kairi?"

Cloud stepped up first. "Quartz was captured by the Seekers. Now he's part of their inhuman experiments: they plan to use his Crystalli signature to power their machines. He's at a power plant on the surface now."

Blader took a turn and filled in, "Petross is most likely one of them now. The Seekers caught him, then turned him into a Heartless. We still don't know what happened to his Nobody, though…"

"After we lost the war with the Seekers, the rest of the Restoration Committee fell apart." Vincent said, his voice as solemn and serious as ever, "Some are dead, others are just trying to find their own ways to even their odds with the Seekers. Leon and Yuffie are just a few out there now…"

"And Kairi…?" Sora asked.

"We lost track of her some time ago." J answered, shaking his head, "If you're looking for her, you're on your own."

Sora hung his head. He was trapped here, several people were dead, the Seekers ruled the world, and now the one girl he loved was missing. He couldn't see how things could get worse…

"Take me to them." Sora said, heading for what appeared to be a tunnel.

Scott turned and cocked a brow at Sora. "Who?"

"I want to talk to Leon and Yuffie." Sora said, his expression dead serious.

"Oh, Yuffie, eh?" Crescent asked in a sarcastic-sounding tone, "Well, don't expect anything from me…" Crescent folded his arms, walked to a corner, then began to sulk there for a while.

Sora scratched his head of spiky hair. "What's with him?" he asked.

"Yuffie officially dumped him." Cloud answered. When the swordsman saw that Sora didn't understand, he filled in, "She got married, so now he won't talk to her."

"Married?" Sora asked in surprise, "Who'd she marry?"

"Leon." Blader answered, "She said he was the only guy available." Blader typed a key on the computer, then asked, "Sure ya wanna go, kid?"

"Positive."

Blader punched in another command, and a door opened up to his left. "There ya go, then. But be sure to take either Scott or J with ya, kid."

J nodded, then followed Sora into the tunnel. Another motorbike awaited them and J got a hold on the handlebars while Sora took a seat behind J.

Back at the Resistance HQ, Blader continued typing something up on the computer. A voice suddenly came to him through said computer…one he hadn't heard in years.

"Blader? Is that you?" it asked in a male voice.

Blader's eyes widened in surprise. "Tron?!" he asked with glee, "I thought you got deleted!"

"I did, too, until I realized that I had created a backup program." Tron said, also a little confused as to what was going on, "And was that Sora I saw back there? I haven't seen him in over two decades."

"Yeah, that's him." Blader said, unenthusiastically, "Shows up when we've all but lost…"

"Actually, Blader," Tron interrupted, "I did a quick scan on him, and he seems to have a kind of dark aura around him. I think THAT is what's keeping him in this time."

Blader froze as he whirled in his chair, then turned back to the screen. "What're you sayin', Tron?"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora and J raced through the underground tunnel, intent on finding Yuffie or Leon; Sora wasn't picky as to which one he found. A thought crossed his mind, suddenly, and he asked, "J, if it's not safe here, why not try going off-world? I'm sure there are other worlds to hide on."

"No." J said, cutting Sora off from finishing his sentence. "The Seekers rule the universe, not just Radiant Garden. And without Quartz, there's no hope of us escaping, as the Seekers cut off our Gummi production."

Sora's jaw dropped. "We can't hide anywhere but underground?"

J nodded. "Unfortunately. We only hide until there's something to help even our odds with the Seekers. But so far, they've managed to stay one step ahead of us." J sharply brought the motorcycle to a stop. The reason why it didn't look like they arrived at anyplace soon came when J took a kind of comm-link from his jacket pocket and put it to his ear. "Yeah?"

A pause, then J suddenly asked, "You mean it?" Another pause, then J said, "I'm on my way." J then turned his comm-link off and wheeled the bike around.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed at the sudden change of position, "Why're we turning around?"

"Just got word from Blader." J answered, "He might have a way to send you back to the present. Let's just hope he's right…"

_Future J is voiced by Christian Bale. Hey, guys! Batman!_

_Future Scott is voiced by Hugh Jackman. You X-Men fans know him as Wolverine._

_So, can Sora find a way back to the present? Of COURSE he can. It's doing it that ya wanna know…_


	10. Back in Time for Missions

Chapter 10: Back in Time for Missions

Sora and J arrived at the headquarters to spot Blader at the control screen. "Guys! Tron's back!" Blader exclaimed, gleefully.

As everyone stopped what they were doing, Tron's voice spoke out from the computer. "I have returned, and I'm ready for duty."

Sora turned to J and asked, "Wait a sec. What happened to Tron that would make everyone so pleased to see him?"

"He was supposedly deleted, but apparently he had a backup file." The ex-shapeshifter answered, "So, why'd you drag us here?"

A huge, blue optical sensor focused on Sora, then zoomed in. "Sora!" Tron shouted, with an odd amount of glee.

"Oh, hey, Tron. Long time, no see." Sora said, trying to lighten things up a bit.

"You have no idea." Tron said, ending the humor there and then. "Anyway, we have found a way to send you back.

"So…how can I go back?" Sora asked, "And what's keeping me here?"

"I did a quick scan before you left and found a strange aura surrounding you. I think it's what's keeping you in this timeline."

"What?!" Sora did a thorough examination of himself, but nothing appeared to be there. "I…don't see anything."

"That's because it's invisible." Tron explained, "If we can reverse its polarity, you should be returned to your timeline."

"There any way to remove the aura?" Cloud asked.

"One." Tron answered, "Darkness can only be repelled by one thing."

"Light." Sora finished.

"But there's tons o' light in this place alone." Blader pointed out.

"He doesn't mean THAT kind of light, Blader." Scott corrected, "He means the very essence of it: one who is pure of heart."

Sora thought this all over, then realized that there was only one way to send him back. He instantly walked over to the door where he and J came from. Cloud spotted him, though…

"Where're you going?" the swordsman asked.

Sora turned, then answered, "I'm going to find Kairi. If she's still alive, then she's my only hope of going back and preventing any of this from happening."

Vincent huffed slightly. "Good luck, then. We haven't seen her ever since her third attempt at childbirth."

Sora froze on the spot, feeling as though an icy arrow had lodged itself into his heart. "What did you say?" he asked in shock.

Vincent's brown eyes focused on Sora. "When you disappeared and didn't return, she was completely distraught. Some time in the Seekers' conquest, she married the closest person she had left: Riku."

Sora REALLY didn't like this conversation, but he understood that he hadn't been around for twenty years. Riku was probably the only person that could comfort Kairi in times of pain, but there was one other thing he didn't understand.

"If she had children, wouldn't they be here with us?" Sora asked.

Vincent shook his head. "No. They were all stillborn: they died."

Again, Sora felt like something had frozen his heart. "Why?"

"Because Kairi is a being of light, while Riku was a user of darkness. The two may coexist, but they can never mix." Vincent replied, "The corpses that Kairi spawned were attempts to fuse light and darkness: an attempt that will fail every time."

Sora stopped the conversation right there and then. "I don't care if she's missing. I'm going to find her, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Everyone was quiet…except Crescent, who randomly asked, "Are you done yet? 'Cuz I'm REAL sleepy."

Before Sora could even make a move towards Crescent, Tron spoke up. "Wait…I think I might be on to something." After a brief pause, Tron spoke once more. "I did a scan on Sora and found pure darkness surrounding him, but if I can reverse the scan, I should be able to locate a pure light aura."

"Well, what're ya waitin' for?" Blader asked, tapping his knuckles on the keyboard, "HOP TO IT!"

"Affirmative." Tron responded, "But try not to rap on my keyboard, will you? It's very sensitive." A load bar flashed onto the screen, and once it was filled up, the radar screen was in its place.

For a while, no reading came, and Sora heaved a defeated sigh. "Kairi…Where are you?" he asked, almost pleadingly to the screen. For a minute or two, no readings came through, until…

"I found it!" Tron announced.

"You found another contact lens?" Crescent asked, eagerly, "GIMME!"

Crescent approached the computer screen, but was just a foot away when a panel opened up on the main dashboard. A steady stream of electricity shot out of the open panel, electrocuting Crescent and sending him to the floor.

"No, User Psykotara, I found a source of pure light." Tron corrected.

"I can't see…" Crescent moaned, weakly.

"As soon as I can locate its source…" Tron's voice had a very focused note in it. When the location lit up, everyone's eyes widened.

"This is bad…" Scott said, worry in his voice.

"What?" Sora asked.

"The light signal isn't coming from underground." J answered, "It's coming from the surface."

"Oh, SLAG!" Blader cursed, stamping his metal leg, "Must be pretty well-hidden if it's hidden from the Seekers for so long…"

Cloud unsheathed his Buster Blade, which now had no bandages and had a decent amount of rust on its sides. It still looked razor-sharp, though. "It doesn't matter." The swordsman pointed out, "We have to get Sora back. That's something I'll willingly risk my life for. As for you, Blader…" Cloud glowered at Blader with enough ferocity to make Blader step back with wide eyes. "Get a decent backbone."

Cloud went over to a special garage and got onto the Fenrir motorcycle, which was now more streamlined, but still very bulky. He turned to Sora and said, "You're coming with me. If anyone else wants to defend him, follow me."

Crescent immediately stood up and saluted. "Count me in!" he said, eagerly, "I haven't seen any action all day!"

"You haven't seen any action in almost five years." Blader corrected. He tossed Sora a device and the Keyblade Master fumbled before catching it. "This is a compact radar I designed. Thanks to Tron, you should be able to find this light source in an instant."

"Alright." Sora said, taking a seat behind Cloud.

J took another bike adjacent to Cloud while Crescent took another one. As J turned the bike around, he turned to the rest and ordered, "Keep the base secret, even if we end up dead." Engines revved up and soon all three motorcycles sped off to the surface world.

_Don't worry, Kairi. I'm on my way…_

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora kept an eye on the radar, all the while, keeping a good hold on Cloud's bike. He quickly noticed that they were going off-course and quickly said to Cloud, "Move to the right." Cloud nodded, then swerved with J and Crescent close behind.

Sora took a good look around the area they were traveling. The sky wasn't too different from that of the graveyard he had come from, but he soon caught a good glimpse of what was once the proud city of Radiant Garden.

The tower that Radiant Garden once called its greatest pride was now no more than a shattered ruin. It was only half as tall and black as coal: it was as though someone had bombed it.

The other buildings of Radiant Garden weren't looking too good, either. Houses showed no life in them, no light, and were already looking ready to collapse at the slightest touch.

Sora had just turned his attention back to the road in front of him when suddenly, Cloud's bike made a sharp swerve to the right. When Sora regained his balance, he turned and saw the familiar white bodies of…

"NOBODIES!"

"DANG IT!" J cursed, "We've been spotted!"

"But we can't turn back!" Cloud said, using every trick in the motorcyclist's book to avoid the oncoming husks. "If we fall here, there's no hope!"

"Yeah!" Crescent agreed, "I wanna see if Sora can help me and Yuffie get together!"

Sora didn't respond to Crescent, for he noticed that an Assassin Nobody was spinning towards Cloud's bike like a buzz-saw. It almost touched the bike when a compartment opened up in the bike, dislodging the Nobody in the process. Cloud pulled out his rusted sword, then swung it at the Nobody, carving right through it in a single swipe.

Another Nobody wavered its way towards Crescent, who actually sprang off his bike to pull his traditional sword out of the sheath on his back. "BANZAI!!!" he cheered as he stabbed a Samurai Nobody in the head. He sprang off just as it vanished in a shower of sparkles, then landed on his bike again.

Sora whipped out his Keyblade and used it to help take care of any Nobodies that were trying to tail him and Cloud. He was doing a good job so far, putting the Strike Raid to effective use. But when a Dragoon Nobody was about to jam its lance into Sora's midsection, something incinerated it in the blink of an eye. When more Nobodies came, the Keyblade Master saw that J had a pistol in his hand and was shooting down any Nobody that came his way.

"You expect me to be helpless without my power?" J asked, shooting another Nobody.

Sora looked at the pocket radar: they were going off a little. "Cloud! Drive to your left!"

Cloud looked back at Sora and nodded a silent agreement. He then made a sharp turn, carving through a Berserker that had tried to intercept them.

For a while, the three bikes kept outmaneuvering the white husks like they were in slow motion. But then things changed: a pink burst of energy came from nowhere and struck the back tire of J's bike, causing it to veer out of control, dumping the ex-shapeshifter onto the ground and the other two bikes leaving him behind.

"J!" Sora called out, almost jumping off the bike. Cloud, however, seized Sora by the collar of his shirt and pulling him back. "LET ME GO! I HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

"You CAN'T!" Cloud reasoned, "He gave his life to let you change this whole thing. Don't kill yourself here or we're all dead!"

"I can't just leave…"

"YES YOU CAN!" Cloud said in a swift voice, "If you die here, then you can't change this whole thing. You HAVE to make it to the past! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

Cloud's whole statement was enough to make Sora listen to him. During times like this, he wished that he would quit worrying about people… "Okay." He said, accepting what he had to do.

Cloud pressed forward on his bike, but suddenly felt another presence. Acting on instinct, he accelerated just as a burst of blue plasma hit the ground where he was a second ago. Crescent, however, was catapulted forward.

"This…is…so…COOL!" Crescent said, the slow motion effect kicking into effect.

Sora watched as Crescent shrunk away in the explosion of energy, but returned his focus on the speeding landscape of what used to be Radiant Garden. Cloud was on the right track, but knew that their pursuers were obviously still on their trail.

"Sora," he warned, "You might want to hold on…" And before Sora could even ask why, Cloud had pushed a button on one of the handlebars. The modified Fenrir shot forward at double its top speed, and the buildings became no more than blurs. If Sora hadn't secured himself behind Cloud, he would have flown backward. Sora's cry in surprise was drowned out by the sheer, mind-numbing speed that the bike was going at now. Forget the Light Cycles in Space Paranoids, THIS thing was faster than fast.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Cloud continued cruising through the ruin of Radiant Garden while Sora looked at the pocket radar. It was growing closer by the second, but when Cloud slowed to a stop, Sora finally looked up.

There in front of them was a shabby-looking shack that looked like it hadn't been touched in a long time. Sora looked at his radar: according to it, the light source was inside it.

"She's waiting for you, Sora." Cloud said, getting off his Fenrir with the rusted buster blade at the ready, "I'll stay here and make sure nothing interrupts."

Sora nodded, then darted up the stairs of the shack. But then he stopped and turned back to Cloud. "I dunno, Cloud. The beard looks kinda good on you." Before Cloud could even respond, the Keyblade Master burst through the door.

It was dark: that was the first thing that Sora could notice. He doubted the lights even had bulbs in them.

"Hello?" Sora whispered, then said, a little louder, "Anyone here?"

Sora heard something move…and it came from the room just ahead of him. He looked around, then saw a picture frame: the one with him, Kairi, and Riku on it. He had his arms around each one's shoulder, Riku had an arm over his, and Kairi had her arms wrapped around his middle. This confirmed it: she HAD to be here…

Sora looked away from the picture when he heard the sound of something moving. When he looked up, he saw that a door had moved, but no one was there…or was there? He silently walked over to the door and peeked into the room.

It appeared to be a bedroom of sorts, but it was in terrible shape. The floor was covered in dust, the curtains were ragged, and the bed was well out of shape with pillows strewn across it and the blankets as well.

"Who's there?"

Sora whirled around as a woman's voice reached his ears. He squinted, trying to see who it was in the darkness. When he got a good look, he finally could see the woman who spoke. Her clothes were very dirty: what was once a nice combination of jeans and a t-shirt was now tattered and filthy.

The woman moved a little closer, then gasped in complete shock. By now, she was so close that Sora could make out her red hair, which was almost waist-length, and that familiar pair of indigo eyes that he loved so much…

"S-Sora?"

Sora was speechless, then knew the one thing he could do to convince this woman who he was. He held out his hand, and the Keyblade appeared in it. And in the light that summoned it, Sora caught a glimpse of the woman's face. Her face was dirty, her hair was unkempt, but Sora knew who was underneath it all…

"Kairi…" Sora said, slowly nodding, "It's me."

Kairi slowly reached to stroke Sora's face, touching him gently as though he would disappear like a dream. When he didn't, she fell to her knees and quietly sobbed.

"I looked everywhere for you…" she said between sobs, "I thought I was dreaming…but you're here. I…I missed you so much…"

Sora calmly shushed her as he kneeled in front of her, gently stroking her hair away from her eyes. "I know…but right now, I need your help." He said, calmly at first, then slowly getting to business. "I can fix all this, but I'm going to need your light."

Kairi paused, then brushed away a tear. "I'm afraid I haven't produced light…not since I was much younger." She said, apologetically, "I can't do it…not anymore."

Sora shook his head. "I'm not taking that as an answer. Can't you think of anything happy? Anything that makes your heart feel like it's glowing?"

Kairi thought it over, but just as she thought of nothing, she was met with Sora's lips. In a little exchange of fate, HE was kissing her this time. Kairi felt a little surprised, then closed her eyes and went with it…NOW she felt exactly as Sora described. Her heart felt like the brightest star…and she felt it encompass Sora completely.

Sora suddenly broke the kiss when he heart a sound: one that didn't sound particularly friendly. He barely had time to register what it was, because he swung around Kairi, crossing his arms in front of himself to defend both of them from what was coming. With his eyes scrunched, he failed to notice that he had disappeared from that timeline completely. He had gone back to the present.


	11. Mission at Hand

Chapter 11: The Mission at Hand

"Then I met J and we came here." Sora finished.

Everyone in the room stared in total awe. Kairi in particular was…amazed that she had helped Sora return to the present. Others, on the other hand, had different thoughts.

"That's…just plain weird." Joey commented.

Mickey folded his arms as a worried look crossed his face. "Gosh…Looks like things are more urgent than we thought." Mickey said, having thought the situation over very quickly. "This only proves that we have set things into motion right away." The King straightened back up, then looked over at Sakuzy. "Sakuzy?" he ordered.

"Sure thing, your majesty." Sakuzy replied. He reached into his back pocket before pulling out a piece of parchment. It looked very old, though, being tattered and worn. "My friends and I came into possession of a map that leads to the treasure of all treasures."

"What's so special about it?" Riku asked.

"It's special, because long ago, it was given the greatest gift and the most horrible curse." Sakuzy explained, "Whoever finds the treasure gets one wish granted for every piece they touch." Sakuzy pocketed the piece he had, then continued. "It was hidden when someone used it and nearly destroyed the worlds in the process. To ensure that no one would ever find it again, the map was torn into pieces and scattered across the worlds."

"Why're we trying to find it, then?" Kairi asked.

"To keep any other psycho from finding it." Depth filled in, showing every hint of discontent.

"PERMANENTLY!" Joey added, clenching his fists in an evil sort of way. This earned him an odd look from everyone in the room. His response was to shrug and ask, "What? That IS what we're trying to do, right?"

"But we can't go from one world at a time lookin' for the shards, mates." Scott pointed out, "That girl, Yaxm, said that there were twelve Seekers, all of them extremely powerful. Most likely, they'd get the pieces before we got even close to finding 'em."

"We've already beaten you to that thought, Mr. Highflier." Leon replied, "You'll be split up into teams by the King's choosing." Leon turned to Mickey and asked, "Who's going to team up?"

"The teams will be…" Mickey thought it over, then pointed to each member as he said their respective names. "Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy will form one group. I'll go with Riku and Depth. Joey and Maya will be another. Another one will be J, Scott, and April. And the last one will be with Ryan and Mandy."

"But everyone else has THREE members!" Ryan argued.

"Yeah! I only get stuck with a girl!" Joey agreed, then noticed the expression on Maya's face. She looked just about ready to beat him with her Keyblade. "Uh…no offense, Maya."

Maya shrugged. "I get it all the time."

"Now, take it easy, Ryan. You'll be going with these two." Mickey answered. He gave a shrill whistle and Donald and Goofy burst through the door. Goofy, however, tripped over Donald and the duo tumbled forward and landed in a heap.

"Gawrsh…that didn't go as planned." Goofy said, massaging his head. It'd been hit worse than this, though. The knight of Disney Castle looked up and noticed everybody. "Hey there, guys. How are ya?" Goofy said with a wave.

"Donald? Goofy?" Sora asked.

"It's been a while, Sora." Donald said, "But I guess it was worth the wait, huh?"

Mandy just stared at the duck and dog, who in turn stared at her. She blinked twice, then said, "Those two are weird."

"WHAT?!" Donald quacked, angrily. Steam shot out of his ears…if he had any.

"You heard me, feather-brain. By the by," Mandy continued, pulling out her bag, "I've been collecting these Charms. How about you guys take…two for each team?"

She opened the sack and the team leaders' eyes widened in joy. Jammed in the sack were several Summon Charms of all shapes and colors. Every team leader followed Mandy's instructions, and pulled out a pair each.

Sora took a charm that looked like a sapphire dragon and a charm with a flaming skull. Sakuzy immediately snatched the charm with the skull in an instant. "Dibs!" he said, eagerly.

Riku took out a charm with what a symbol that looked like a bar of green stuff and another that looked like the face of a robotic being. "Here." Riku said, lobbing the first charm to Depth, who caught it out of midair.

Joey took out a charm that looked like several green binary numbers and one that looked like a gear. He eyed the first charm, eagerly. "This looks cool." He then tossed the second charm to Maya. "You can have this one."

J took a pair of charms himself. One looked like a Native American-styled eagle while the other looked like a small pair of bongos. "Don't know why we'd need these 'charms'." J said, nonchalantly, "We can manage with our powers."

"Oh! Are you like Ryan?" Mandy asked, excitedly.

"Not exactly, sheila." Scott replied, removing his hat to scratch his messy brown hair. "My powers are a bit…weird."

Mandy fingered through her charms, and her eyes caught sight of one in particular that she liked. It had the face of a black and white, smiling kitty on it. The second, she handed to Ryan: one with a combination of vines and leaves.

"Huh." Ryan said, inspecting the charm he was given. "Wonder who this thing summons…"

Mickey nodded, then pointed out. "Well, now that we have backup in case of tight spots, I also have another thing to give you Keybladers." Mickey reached into his back pocket and handed out several identical Keychains. They resembled a golden eagle with its wings outspread.

When Sora received his Keychain, he summoned his Keyblade and attached the keychain to it. In a flash of sparkles, Ultima Weapon flashed out of his hands and a new one replaced it. It was a mixture of bronze, silver, and golden metals in the similar shape of the Kingdom Key. But rather than a key's teeth, it had an eagle, spread-taloned and its wings spread to form said teeth. At the place where blade met handle, there appeared to be a compass.

_Treasure Seeker _flashed through Sora's mind (1) as he tested its weight and judged its size. "So…what're these Keyblades for?" he asked.

"The Treasure Seeker Keyblades are something I found from a friend of mine." Mickey scratched his chin, trying to remember who the guy's name was. "Let's see…who was that treasure-finding guy? Oh yeah! Gates. Ben Gates."

"But, getting back to business, we'll each go to different worlds." Mickey continued, "Your Gummi Ships have each been equipped with a special radar to pick up signals given off by the map pieces. But they won't help you on the ground. That's where the Treasure Seekers come in. The map shards are often concealed as other objects, and these Keyblades will point you in the right direction."

"But it gives the three of us a bit of a problem." April pointed out, gesturing at herself, Scott, and J, "None of us have Keyblades. How're we supposed to find 'em?"

"You can use these." Mickey replied, tossing Scott a ring of keys, each of them with a different symbol emblazoned on it. "These have the same properties as the Treasure Seekers, and will help you locate and reveal the map shards."

"Incidentally, Sir." Joey butted in, "None of my group's really up to treasure hunting. Maya always finished LAST in any scavenger hunt."

"HEY!" Maya pouted slightly.

"What? I'm right." Joey defended, holding up his hands.

As if on perfect cue, a man with scruffy, dark-brown hair walked in. Sora remembered him with a mustache, but he obviously shaved it. THIS was the resident genius of the Restoration Committee—Riley Poole.

"Uh, hey. When'd they get here?" Riley asked, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.

"Good timing." Leon said, jumping to tasks in an instant, "Riley will go with you two."

"Hey!" Riley exclaimed, taken aback by Leon's statement, "This isn't what I had in mind! I'm not a fighter!"

"Alright, Riley's going with Joey and Maya." Mickey continued, completely ignoring Riley altogether. He took a step back to take in the teams and nodded in approval. "Well, the teams are set and the hunt is on. Let's move out!"

In the end, Riley smacked himself in the forehead. This was just crazy, first came one treasure, then another, and now THIS.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Gummi Ship…

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy were on their Gummi Ship. Luckily, they had ended up in Quartz, the one being to keep in case of trouble. Sakuzy sat at a table, head in his hands.

"So, what's been happening since we destroyed Diamond?" Sakuzy asked, leaving his position.

"Not much." Sora replied, but then remembered quickly. "Uh…scratch that. J's been teaching me how to fight without the Keyblade…just in case I can't use it. And Kairi and I are, well…seeing each other now."

"Just like Joyex said." Sakuzy grinned as he chuckled to himself. He straightened up, then proudly announced, "Well, I'm one of the top three."

"Top three?" Sora asked.

"For what?" Kairi added.

"Top three for consideration to be the next leader of my order!" Sakuzy said, excited.

"Congratulations!" Kairi said, vigorously shaking his hand.

"Sora's the founder of this order." Sakuzy grinned, "What do you expect?"

Sora was liking this new Sakuzy better than the old one. The old one was…a bit on the moody side, had a bit of an attitude, and always got to business. THIS one was someone completely different. He was nicer, likeable, and even joked on several occasions. THIS was a completely different guy…and Sora wasn't even trying to complain.

Sakuzy got up and walked over to Quartz's navigation system and punched a key. "Hey, Quartz? Where's the nearest map piece?" the futuristic Keyblader asked.

When Quartz's holographic head popped up, he appeared to be sleeping. His eyes were dull and he was…snoring. Sakuzy soon got so fed up that he shouted, "QUARTZ!"

Quartz snorted awake. "Who? Wha?" he stuttered, still trying to wake up. When he noticed Sakuzy, he immediately apologized. "Sorry. Just needed a rest before a journey. Now, what did you ask of me?"

"He asked where the first map shard is." Sora filled in, "Can you get a good track on it?"

Quartz shook the sleep out of his head, then said, "Just a second." A few seconds' pause, and he answered, "I believe so. It should be in a world called…Rat Paris."

"Rat Paris?" Kairi asked, "Sounds like one of those…transformation worlds."

"Heh. Wonder what we'll turn into…" Sora said, knowing what the answer probably would be.

Blader

The brains of the Restoration Committee East Side. He lost a leg when Crescent accidentally chopped it off. He's hated him ever since (especially since Crescent enjoys taking his prosthetic leg). He wields a bade-edged shield and brains to rival Cid Highwind and Tron combined. He helped Sora and co. fight the Crystalli during the reign of Diamond. He first appeared in _Prince of Heart._

Petross

The East Side's medic. Despite his position, he wields immense strength that can easily break virtually every bone in Crescent's body (which he's done…multiple times). Originally from the world Ivalice, he came to Traverse Town after it fell into darkness, then to Radiant Garden (then Hollow Bastion). He's returned to Ivalice on more than one occasion, but Radiant Garden still needs him. He first appeared in _Prince of Heart._

Mickey Mouse

The king of Disney Castle. He helped seal the door to Kingdom Hearts, preventing a massive effusion of Heartless. He then joined Riku as he fought his personal demons in Castle Oblivion. He fought alongside Sora, helping any way he could to defeat Organization XIII. He first appeared in _Steamboat Willy_.

Goofy

One of Sora's oldest friends (other than Riku and Kairi). He's the captain of the Royal Knights of Disney Castle, preferring to wield a shield instead of a sword. He and Donald left Disney Castle to try and find a "key". They found Sora and joined him on his quest. He was the first to go back to Sora after he lost the Keyblade. He played major parts in the defeats of Organization XIII and the Crystalli. He first appeared in _Two Week Vacation_.

Donald Duck

Another one of Sora's old friends. He's the king's court mage with a vast variety of spells in his head. He and Goofy left Disney Castle to try and find a "key". They found Sora and joined him on his quest. He quickly followed Goofy's example and rejoined Sora after he lost the Keyblade. He played major parts in the defeats of Organization XIII and the Crystalli. He first appeared in _Mr. Duck's Day-off_.

Riley Poole

A new recruit for the Restoration Committee. He helped find a national treasure and a lost city of gold. NOW, he works at the Restoration Committee. He was assigned to join Joey and Maya…albeit against his will. He began treasure hunting in _National Treasure_ 2004.

_(1) A Keyblade based off National Treasure! The first one was great along with the second (though not as much)._


	12. Return of Darkness

Chapter 12: Return of Darkness

Maleficent sat in a chair as if it were a throne. She had long waited for this day to come: the day when she was sure that the Crystalli had been eliminated completely. Next to her was Pete, puffed up with pride. Next to him was the hotheaded Hades, the necromancer Mozenrath, the younger (but even crazier) sister of Ursula Morgana, and the tiger Shere Khan.

"The time has come. The Crystalli have been vanquished and our numbers have been boosted once more." She announced, catching the ear of those who listened. She turned to Pete and asked, "I understand that you brought in some new people, Pete?" Maleficent asked.

"Yes, ma'am!" Pete replied, saluting in a dramatic sort of way. He gave a shrill whistle, and in they came.

The first was a man with a Spanish look to him and with a crown on his head. "You had BETTER keep your promises, witch." The man growled, with a Spanish accent, "The Narnians are preparing to attack."

"I was under the impression that you terminated the Narnians." Maleficent said, inspecting her nails like they were an exotic pet.

"Obviously, he did not exterminate them well enough." Shere Khan sighed, rubbing his paw on his chest as if it were a coat.

The next man to enter was dressed in elegant garbs, had a powdered wig, and was flanked by…Davy Jones? Hades chuckled at the sight of the seaman. "Jones-y!" Hades said, holding out an inviting hand, "Where've ya been? I missed your little death threats."

Davy Jones' response was to clamp his pincer-hand onto Hades' wrist. The god of the Underworld recoiled, whereas the master of the sea growled, "Yer better off not knowin', whelp."

The man that Jones flogged cleared his throat, and Jones gave the man a glower before releasing Hades' hand. "Geez, is the guy ALWAYS this grouchy?" Hades asked, massaging his wrists.

"His temper has been terrible since I acquired his heart." The man replied in a snobbish, English accent. He sounded oddly sure of what he was doing, as though he had Jones under his thumb.

The person who was following the Englishman wore a pair of sunglasses and a heavy trench-coat, which didn't entirely conceal four metallic substances moving about underneath them. "With your help…will my experiment succeed?" He asked Maleficent, raising a brow behind his shades.

Maleficent slowly nodded, an evil smile crossing her face. "Yes. With the help of the Heartless, you'll get EVERYTHING you want and need."

The next one to come in was another man with graying hair, a somewhat square jaw, and a navy-esque coat. "It should succeed as easily as they'll help me get that power." He said with a great amount of amusement in his voice.

The next person wasn't really a person, but a small gerbil thing. Following him was none other than Gantu and 625, who was contentedly munching on a sandwich.

Maleficent took notice of the trio enter, then gestured to Gantu. "Pete, meet your new partner."

"PARTNER?!" both of them asked at the same time.

"I don't wanna work with THAT fish-face!" Pete said, pointing a sausage-like finger at Gantu.

"Hamsterveil, why didn't you tell ME any of this?!" Gantu said, gesturing to Pete.

"You would've objected immediately, you big buffoon, you." The gerbil answered in a French accent.

"He's got a point, blubber-butt." 625 said, taking another bite from his sandwich. He chewed it, then swallowed, showing every hint of satisfaction.

The final person had shoulder-length, dirty-blonde hair and a scar over his chest. "I'm surrounded by idiots…" the man said in a snide, English accent.

"Get used to it, Half-heart. You're only going to get more of it." 625 replied, gulping down another mouthful of sandwich.

"SILENCE!" Maleficent barked, causing everyone in the room to go silent, "Now, Mozenrath's Heartless spies overheard something about a treasure. Am I correct?"

Mozenrath nodded, then answered, "Yes. A treasure that will grant its finder one wish for each piece."

"Oooh…wishes…" Xerxes said, impressed by what he heard.

"And if you're right, it should grant us our greatest wish…" Maleficent smiled at the thought. "Go to your worlds and find out as much as you can about them."

"King" Miraz

The usurper king of the mystic land of Narnia. He aligned himself with Maleficent in order to destroy the native Narnians, crown himself king, and kill his nephew to prove himself.

Lord Cutler Beckett

A cynical lord who wishes to exterminate all pirates. In order to do so, he's enslaved Davy Jones and aligned himself with Maleficent.

Doctor Octopus

Or "Doc Ock". He wishes to complete an experiment that melded mechanical arms to his spine and killed his wife. In his madness, he's allied himself with Maleficent to try and make a successful work.

Rourke

A greedy explorer who wishes to gain the power of a long-forgotten civilization…even if it means working alongside the Heartless and betraying all who worked with him.

Hamsterveil

An evil genius who helped a certain EX-evil scientist create experiments. He wishes to re-obtain them to conquer the known universe with the help of the Heartless.

Einon

The son of a bloodthirsty king. Obviously, he isn't much better. He nearly died, but a kind being, generously, gave him half a heart, yet he corrupted it and has aligned himself with Maleficent to crush all rebellion.


	13. Rat's Paradise

Chapter 13: A Rat's Paradise

Rat Paris…

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy landed in heaps on the hard asphalt of a street. Sora staggered up, shook the cobwebs out of his head, and was the first to take in their new appearances.

"Oh, great." He said, sarcastically, "I'm a rodent again."

He was right. All three of them were now rats—Sora had brown fur, but kept his necklace around his neck and a small version of his jacket. Kairi now had red fur and a miniature Thalassa seashell necklace around her neck. Sakuzy had copper fur, his Mickey Mouse necklace out for all to see.

"So, THIS is what it was like to be in the Marshlands." Kairi said, tugging on one of Sora's ears. Sora tugged it back with a "hey".

"Still, not as major as Destiny Waste or Radiator Springs." Sakuzy pointed out.

"Point taken." Sora replied.

"How do we tell if a map piece is around again?" Kairi asked.

"I guess that this Treasure Seeker Keyblade'll show us when it's there." Sora replied, summoning his weapon. Instantly, the Treasure Seeker swerved in Sora's hand and pointed in a direction. "O-kay…we'll go this way."

Without any form of complaint, the trio of rats skittered through the streets.

_A platter with a large cover appears. The cover is pulled up and the words "Rat Paris" appear, steaming. The lid then slams shut and it vanishes._

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora and co. walked through the cobblestones of this world. What would've seemed an average street in their human forms was now COMPLETELY alien to them in these small forms.

"NOW, I see why you hate being a rodent." Sakuzy said.

A blue rat then stormed past them, muttering darkly. "I can't believe I'm doing this. This is the last time I ask someone to keep secrets…"

"That rat looks familiar…" Kairi said before she beckoned them to follow her. And they did.

The blue rat apparently heard them approaching, then called over his shoulder, "EMIELLE, FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M GETTING THE FOOD!"

"Emielle?" Sakuzy asked.

The rat paused, then turned to face Sora and co. and raised a brow to them. "Uh…Do I know you?" he asked, putting a finger to his temple.

Those particular shades of brown and red DID look unusually familiar. His eyes then widened before saying, "Kairi? Sora?"

Kairi squinted to recognize the rat, then her eyes widened as she recognized this rodent. "REMY!"

Sora suddenly realized where he had seen this particular rat. Kairi had summoned him on their last visit to Twilight Town, using it to their advantage against the Crystalli.

"Kairi?" Remy said in surprise, "Where've YOU been?"

"Haven't seen you since that deal in Twilight Town!" Sora said, walking over to Remy.

"Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Sakuzy." Sakuzy introduced, shaking Remy's paw.

Sora then glanced up to see a luxurious restaurant with three neon stars and the picture of a large man, crossing two pans over his chest, and dressed in a chef's uniform.

"What is this place?" Sora asked.

"Gusteau's Restaurant." Remy replied, excitedly, "One of the best restaurants in the world!"

"Gusteau?!" Sakuzy asked, awestruck, "As in CHEF Gusteau?!"

Sora turned to his descendant with a confused look. "You know this Gusteau guy?" he asked.

"HECK, YEAH!" Sakuzy replied, "HE'S ONLY THE BEST CHEF IN THE UNIVERSE! Joey learned ALL his cooking skills from his book—Anyone Can Cook!"

"That's a weird title." Kairi said, folding her arms, then tossing Sora a mock-accusing look. "Not everyone can cook, SORA."

"What?" Sora asked, defensively, "I can cook…sort of…"

"Seriously, Sora, I've tasted your cooking and thought I got food poisoning." Sakuzy deadpanned.

Remy, who was watching this whole thing, decided to point out a fact. "Uh…I hate to break your heart, Sakuzy. But Gusteau's dead." Remy said, apologetically.

The whole conversation just froze as Sakuzy slowly turned to Remy. "What?" Sakuzy asked, sounding completely shocked. He turned to Sora, who nodded solemnly. "How?

"He died a while ago." Remy continued, "He lost a star to some food critic and kicked the bucket soon after."

Sakuzy shook his head, then cocked his head to the side slightly. "Then who's that floating around you?" Sakuzy asked, pointing at a spot just over Remy's shoulder.

"What're you talking about?" Kairi asked, giving Sakuzy a weird look.

"There's this fat chef floating over Remy's shoulder." Sakuzy explained.

Remy's eyes darted over to the spot and he saw the ghostly image of a small, fat person floating over him, dressed in chef clothes. He was an exact image of the chef on the sign, Gusteau.

"I thought only I could see you!" Remy hissed to the imaginary chef.

"I am a figment of your imagination!" Gusteau answered, equally confused, "I have no idea why he can see me!"

"I dunno how I can see you, either." Sakuzy said, scratching his chin.

From Sora and Kairi's perspective, Sakuzy and Remy were talking to thin air. They gave each other uneasy looks, questioning Sakuzy's sanity a little, then decided to ignore it if they could.

Sora cleared his throat, grabbing both Sakuzy and Remy's attention. "Uh…Remy?" Sora asked, trying to change the subject, "Would you happen to know where some scrap of parchment is? It should have some weird designs on it."

Remy scratched his head, then shrugged before saying, "Nope." Remy's ears then perked up as an idea struck him, "Hey! How about you guys come with me to Gusteau's Restaurant?"

"Why not?" Kairi asked, "It should give us a clue as to what we're looking for."

The three then followed Remy as the rat stood up and walked away.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Sora and co. arrived at the restaurant, which was the fanciest French restaurant Sora had ever been in…and it was the only one, too. The Keyblade Master also noticed one crucial thing.

"Why do people come to these restaurants?" Sora asked, "Look at that…" Sora pointed down at the plate of food to show a small morsel covered in sauce. "That piece's no bigger than a meatball…"

It was true: Sora had gotten a good example of what was going on in the restaurant. The food was usually not much bigger than a single scoop of ice cream, the smallest ones being meatball-sized.

"You don't KNOW?" Kairi asked, awestruck.

"Well, I was missing for a whole year." Sora countered, "I think you can cut me some slack…"

Kairi giggled a little, then answered Sora's first question. "I've heard that French food is VERY tasty, but is served in small portions. That's why they don't get fat."

Sakuzy shrugged behind her. "Makes sense."

Remy beckoned them to follow, and they did, right to the doorway. It was cracked open a little, so they could see what was going on in there. And, just as they suspected, several cooks were preparing food at a phenomenal rate.

"THIS is where I work." Remy announced.

As Sora watched the cooks do fast-paced cooking, a question crossed his mind. "Why would they let a rat cook in a kitchen?" he asked.

"They wouldn't. They don't know it's me." Remy replied, "I work with Linguini."

The group then saw a gangly person, maybe in his late teens or early twenties. He had red hair and looked…kind of awkward. THIS was obvious, because he had just stepped outside when he tripped over his feet. Making sure to close the door behind him, the young man gently called out, "Little chef? You out there?"

"That's my cue." Remy said with a flick of his finger, descending down a pipe.

As Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy watched, Remy went over to "Linguini" and actually scurried up his arm and under his toque. What Remy would do under that hat, no one knew…but it must have been genius.

Remy

A rat with highly developed senses of taste and smell, who helped Kairi out as a Summon Charm. He got separated from his family after an incident involving cooking and now he lives in Paris, with an awkward youth named Linguini. He helps Linguini cook and Linguini covers for him by retaining a human appearance. His dream is to become one of the best chefs in the world. He started his career in gourmet cooking in _Ratatouille _2007.

Gusteau

A figment of Remy's imagination, but Sakuzy can see him, too for reasons hither-to unknown. He was the best chef in Rat Paris, until a terrible review lost his restaurant one of its five stars. He died soon after, which meant the loss of another star for his restaurant. It went from five-star to three-star in less than a month. Now, he's kind of Remy's guide. He began to guide the rat in _Ratatouille _2007.

Linguini

Remy's partner in the field of haute cuisine, Linguini is not a well-balanced person. He is clumsy, often struggles with words, but is a truly likeable guy. He spared Remy's life, and in return, the rat spared him his job at Gusteau's. He first appeared in _Ratatouille _2007.


	14. Of Rats and Men

Chapter 14: Of Rats and Men

Hours passed and Remy still had yet to return to them. Sora lay on his back, watching the clouds, Kairi paced a bit, and Sakuzy…well, he snapped. "I just can't take it!" Sakuzy finally shouted, "I've gotta see what's going on in there!"

Before Sora or Kairi could even try to stop him, Sakuzy scrambled across the roof of the building and clambered down a pipe in a manner eerily similar to the way Remy did.

Sora brought his fingers through his spiky hair and heaved a huge sigh. "Why do I have the feeling he's going to be the death of me?" Sora asked as he climbed down after him.

Now all by herself, Kairi rolled her indigo eyes, then went after them. The door was open by a crack, so they were inside without any problems. When they were inside, they were more than relieved to see that the cooks had all gone. It was probably an early-closing time…

"Remy?" Sora called, quietly.

Suddenly, the door of the kitchen swung open and Sora immediately took cover, Kairi hot on his heels. They peeked out from behind a kitchen counter to see a very short man with short cut, black hair, a thin mustache, and a chef's outfit. He walked through a door that was probably his office, and for one brief moment, all was quiet. That is until…

"RATS!!" a deep, French voice shouted.

For a split second, Sora thought they had been spotted, but then he saw Remy and Sakuzy scurrying out of the kitchen as fast as their little legs could carry them. Sora and Kairi soon joined the two in their desperate flight.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

"Remy just found something REALLY important." Sakuzy replied. Remy nodded and grunted in agreement. The reason the rat couldn't talk was because he had a few sheets of paper in his mouth.

The chef, however, was soon following them on a moped and chasing them with great determination. "Who is this guy?" Kairi asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Chef Skinner, according to Remy." Sakuzy replied, "He's been the owner of Gusteau's since Gusteau died and has been using the chef's image to sell frozen food. He's got a REALLY bad temper."

"We kinda gathered that, but why're we running?" Sora asked as the group descended the stairs.

"Apparently, the guy Remy's been working with, Linguini, is the son of Gusteau." Sakuzy replied.

"Linguini?" Kairi asked, "That guy Remy works with?" She remembered what Gusteau looked like before he died…there wasn't much resemblance between the two, though.

"Anyhoo, Linguini is the son of Gusteu, but he doesn't know it yet." Sakuzy said, jumping down stairs, "His mother, may she rest in peace, was apparently involved, romantically, with Gusteau. She never told Gusteau that she had his kid, though. When she died, she left a will, revealing that Linguini was his son."

As Sakuzy finished this part, the chef, who he called Skinner, rolled over the stairs and flew off the moped.

"Go on." Sora said, continuing to skitter like a…well, rat. The chef had just gotten up and continued chasing them on foot.

"Well, Linguini simply came to Gusteau's for a job, having no idea that the restaurant was his birthright." Sakuzy continued.

"Kinda like a fairy tale, huh?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, kinda." Sakuzy replied, still sprinting, "He only came to get a job after his mother's death. Apparently, if we get this to Linguini in time, he'll become the owner of the restaurant."

"And if we don't?" Sora asked.

"The restaurant goes to Mr. Short-stack/Obsessor/Cheapskate." Sakuzy answered, gesturing over to Skinner.

Remy then made a mad jump for an approaching boat, and Sora's group was quick to follow. The three landed, safely, on the boat. Unfortunately, Skinner did, too. He may have crashed onto the deck, but he still made it. The chase continued with Skinner hot on their heels. Both groups came to the ship's nose and knew there was no way out now. Remy made an impressive leap at a passing boat, as did Sora and co., but with different results. Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy landed on the boat since they had taken it when it was closer. Remy probably wouldn't have made it. Skinner…wasn't so lucky. He grabbed at the railing, missed, grabbed a tablecloth on the ship, and fell into the water with an enormous SPLASH!

Sora watched the whole thing and prayed that Remy would make it. And, as though God up above heard him, the documents in Remy's mouth acted as a hang-glider and carried him all the way across.

"Is that physically possible?" Sora asked.

"Are you complaining?" Sakuzy asked.

"Not really." Sora answered.

Sora and co. climbed over to the nearest bridge and ran in pursuit of Remy. Skinner, however, was bobbing, moodily, in the water.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Skinner walked into his office, now dried off, and in a foul mood. He opened it to see Linguini and a woman around the mentioned's age with black hair.

"YOU!" Skinner snarled, "Get out of my office!"

"He is not in your office." Replied the woman, in a French accent, "YOU are in HIS."

As the woman held out the papers that Remy had snatched, Skinner looked like someone had slammed him with something large…and heavy.

In a knothole, Sora, Kairi, Sakuzy, and Remy were celebrating this. Well, everyone except Remy when the woman came into view. Sora took a moment and took in the woman as she talked to Linguini.

"Who's that?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Another cook named Colette." Replied Remy. He looked somewhat disdainful, as Sora noticed. "Linguini's got digs for her. And I think she's getting drawn to him, too."

Sora and Kairi looked at each other, then back at Remy. "And…what's wrong with that?" Kairi asked.

"It's just…Linguini wouldn't be working at this restaurant if I didn't help. Now he's starting to neglect me." Remy explained, tapping his little, pink foot.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

The next few days were excellent. Sora and co. got introduced to Remy's NEW place (his old one being a one-room apartment), which was MUCH better looking. It had two levels now and was a polished-looking white.

Skinner had been fired and was now a jobless deadbeat. And as he read about Linguini's latest success in the paper, a bus passed by and splashed him with street water. The result of this was him becoming soaked, dirty, and SMELLY.

Sora heard a giant ruckus outside the kitchen, then looked outside just in time to see the chefs pile a lot of "Gusteau's Frozen Food" advertisements on top of each other. He even watched as a chef doused it in wine, threw a blazing bag onto it, and burn it, showing every hint of satisfaction.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Later, Remy was sitting in front of the flashes of cameras…under Linguini's chef hat, of course.

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy were watching from the distance. They couldn't be seen down there, after all. If they were caught, the restaurant would be shut down and they would be killed. The same was with Remy…whom Linguini was completely ignoring.

"Remy's the only reason Linguini's gotten this far and Linguini is taking all the credit." Sakuzy muttered, darkly.

"But then again, the restaurant would get shut down if people found out that a rat was the chef making the place famous again." Kairi pointed out.

Sakuzy thought it all over, then realized that she was right. Sora gently elbowed his descendant, then said, "She's got ya beat there."

Before Sakuzy could even try to think of another comment, the restaurant doors flew open. And almost instantly, the air seemed to thicken. As they watched from the shadows, a tall, thin, pale man walked in. He looked well aged and had a VERY dark look on his face. The fact he was wearing black clothing didn't help anything at all. He wore a pair of spectacles, and had black hair that was combed back. Sora could INSTANTLY smell trouble with this guy.

"Uh oh. HERE comes trouble." Sakuzy said, eyes wide in fright. On seeing the curious looks on their faces, he filled in, "That's Anton Ego: the top food critic in the worlds. Think he's not that bad? HE'S the reason the place is where it is now."

Sora shuddered at the thought. He remembered what Gusteau's was like before that fateful review. He HATED to think about what would happen to it after Ego's review.

"You are Monsieur Linguini." Ego said to Linguini. It was not a question, and he spoke in a formal British accent with a slight baritone in it. "I am sorry to interrupt your…" Ego struggled to find the right word, but found it in no time flat. "Premature celebration. But I have noticed how well you have been playing this game."

"Ga-game?" Linguini stuttered. Under his hat, Remy had a look of utmost worry.

"Yes. And you have been playing without an opponent. Which is, as I am sure you know, against the rules." Ego replied.

"You're…Anton Ego?" Linguini asked, nervously pointing a finger at the critic.

Ego chuckled at the boy's slow nature, then stated, "You're slow for someone in the fast lane."

"And….and you're thin," Linguini said, trying to be brave, "For someone who likes food!"

The crowd took a sharp intake of breath at Linguini's shot. Ego looked around, infuriated, but not insulted, and the crowd quieted down a little.

"I don't LIKE food, I LOVE it." The food critic replied, his tone enough to chill all the rats in the room to the bone, "And if I don't LOVE it, I don't swallow." His tone had dropped an octave, and only caused the eerie chill in the air to drop even more.

"O-kay…" Sora said, backing up a step, "I'm officially freaked out now."

"I will return tomorrow night with high expectations." Ego said, turning away. He then hissed a warning to the restaurant owner. "Pray you don't disappoint me…"

The door closed, and the whole room was still very quiet. The rats, however, weren't. "Remy's gonna be in for a challenge." Kairi said, still very uneasy at what happened.

"We'd hate to be rude, BUT we're French!" Colette said, dragging Linguini away into the kitchen.

"She means it's dinner time and we're French!" Linguini called to the crowd as he was dragged away.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Sakuzy asked.

"I don't know, but I have it, too." Sora replied.

"Let's check it out." Kairi said. The three then skittered after the hapless cook.

Sora almost followed suit, then felt something…something familiar. He could only think of one word: Heartless. After a second thought, he shot off after Kairi and Sakuzy.

Skinner

The original chef of Gusteu's Restaurant. He tried to have Remy killed when the rat was first spotted. He also used Gusteu's image to advertise frozen foods. He's cheap, iron-fisted, domineering, and…short. He first appeared in _Ratatouille _2007.

Colette

A fellow cook in Gusteu's Restaurant. She's the toughest cook in the entire kitchen, saying that the job was only made for men and that she proved them wrong. Yet in their short time of working together, Linguini has developed a crush on her, and it seems that she's starting to get similar feelings for him. She first appeared in _Ratatouille _2007.

Anton Ego

France's most popular food critic, Ego is the reason that Gusteau's went from a five-star restaurant to just an average, everyday restaurant. His words can cut people like a knife, the air cools significantly when he enters a room, and what he writes is often what he is: negative and downright cold. He first appeared in _Ratatouille _2007.


	15. Ego's Meal

Chapter 15: Ego's Meal

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy ran out of the restaurant, just in time to see Remy throwing things around.

"What's up, Remy?" Sora asked.

"I HELP THAT GUY AND HE HAS THE NERVE TO TOSS ME OUT!" Remy shouted, picking up a wine bottle and looked ready to toss it, but…

"Whoa. I have NEVER seen that before."

Remy tripped and dropped the bottle. The speaker was a plump, reddish-brown rat that looked a little…sloppy.

"Emielle…" Remy muttered.

"Yeah, it's like you're his fluffy bunny or somethin'!" a random rat shouted.

"I'm sorry, Remy." Emielle, the brown rat apologized, "I tried to tell 'em, but…"

"You know what? It's fine. I've been selfish." Remy replied in a tone that meant no good. He then asked the group, "You guys hungry?"

All but three rats in the area nodded with enthusiasm.

"Alright, dinner's on me." Remy continued, "We go after closing time. In fact…" Remy looked over to Emielle with a devious expression on his face, "Tell dad to bring the whole clan!"

Sora gulped. "Why do I have the feeling THIS is a bad idea?"

"Because it probably IS?" Sakuzy suggested.

The rats then left. Sora and co. made to follow, but Sora froze. The Chosen Wielder of the Keyblade felt the feeling he felt just after Ego left.

"Heartless." The Key-wielder said, barely in a whisper.

"What?" Sakuzy asked.

"HEARTLESS!" Sora shouted, summoning his Keyblade.

Sora immediately sliced it through a cockroach-esque Heartless, but there was, literally, a small army of the Heartless.

"Oh, great." Kairi sighed, sarcastically, summoning Flowering Strength.

"Looks like we're back in the Heartless-fighting game." Sakuzy said, summoning the Eagle Feather.

"I guess some things never change." Sora shrugged, summoning Treasure Seeker.

The Heartless resembled large, black cockroaches with glowing, yellow eyes, the symbol of the Heartless on their backs, and powerful, vice-like jaws. These were Vermin Heartless.

Sora quickly dodged one of the Vermin's attacks just as it snapped at him with its scissor-like jaws. Yet even as he dodged, the Vermin was hot on his trail, following him move-for-move.

"Ugh…these guys are FAST." Sora said, the Vermin's jaws locking around his miniature Keyblade.

Sora wrenched the Treasure Seeker out of the Vermin's jaws, then swung said Keyblade down into the Heartless' head, crushing it. He then swung the Keyblade around and was met with another one. Not only were these things fast, they were numerous. One of the Vermin tried to spring on Sora used Freeze to cause a group of the bug-esque Heartless to freeze solid.

Sakuzy then began to spin his Keyblade in circles as the Futuristic Keyblader shouted, "WIND!"

A blast of wind shout out of the circling Keyblade and blew a group of Vermin into the air. Sakuzy then jumped up to the small group of Heartless and swung his Keyblade, rapidly. The Heartless landed and fell apart.

Kairi swung her Keyblade through a group of two Heartless, brought it up, and smashed another oncoming Heartless. She whipped around and pointed Flowering Strength at two more Heartless.

"LIGHT!" she shouted. A ray of light shot out of her Keyblade and pierced the Heartless. A split second later, the Vermin vanished in a puff of smoke.

"FIRE!" Sora shouted. Two flames began dancing around his body and reduced a group of Heartless to ash.

"BLAST!" Sakuzy shouted. A ball of magic shot out of his Keyblade and exploded in front of more Heartless.

The Heartless then vanished.

"They're gone." Sakuzy said.

"For now." Sora corrected, "Remember the LAST time we went against these guys?"

"How could I forget?" Sakuzy asked, "I was unaffected by the time change for some reason…"

Suddenly, a torrent of rats came out of the restaurant door. It was all Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy could do to keep together.

"GET OUTTA HERE! YOU AND ALL YOUR RAT BUDDIES!" shouted…Linguini? He must have arrived when the Heartless showed up, and was currently shooing Remy out with a mop, "AND DON'T COME BACK…OR ELSE I'LL TREAT YOU THE WAY RESTAURANTS ARE SUPPOSED TO TREAT PESTS!"

Sora and co. walked over to Remy, along with Emielle. The little rat looked as depressed as Sora had seen in anyone. "Dad was right." Remy sighed, "We can't change who we are and we're rats." Remy drooped onto all fours and walked away.

"You're not comin'?" Emielle asked.

"I lost my appetite." Remy replied, depressed.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Remy sighed as he looked at the restaurant. It was the day Ego would arrive. And Linguini was currently trying to inspire his fellow workers…failing miserably in the process. The rat cook heaved a heavy sigh.

"It's pretty dangerous to be here now."

Remy turned to see that Sora was the one who addressed him. The blue rat hopped down

"Let it go." Emielle said as he walked over to Remy.

"You guys shouldn't be here." Remy pointed out, blandly, "It's open hours."

"I'm hungry!" Emielle whined. Remy climbed down and Emielle continued, "But I don't need this food to be happy! The key, my friend, is to not be picky. Observe."

Emielle moved some paper aside and revealed a small chunk of cheese. Both Remy and Sora felt that something was wrong.

"WAIT!" the two shouted. Remy ran in and knocked Emielle out as Sora ran in, thinking the same thing. Just as Emielle was pushed out of the cage, two metal panels slammed shut, trapping Sora and Remy.

"SORA!" Kairi shouted as she and Sakuzy ran over to the cage.

"We've gotta get help!" Sakuzy said to Kairi. The two ran off with Emielle as someone picked up the cage. It was Skinner!

"You may think you are a chef, but you are still only a rat." He said, malevolently to Remy. He jammed the cage into the trunk of a car, "So, I have a simple arrangement. You will create, for me, a new line of Chef Skinner frozen foods. And, in return, I will not kill you and your friend."

The two remained silent as Skinner shut the trunk. It was the best they could do for now…

"So, HE'S why the Heartless appeared here!" Sora growled as he summoned his Keyblade. He pointed it at the cage, but nothing happened. The containment consisted of steel bars, a pair of doors that slid upward, and a lever up on the roof of the cage. "DANG! This thing doesn't have a lock!"

Neither were aware of how much time passed, and Sora stopped counting after a few minutes. Remy, however, lay in a corner, looking as if all hope was gone…which wasn't too far from the truth. The floating memory of Gusteau appeared next to the rat, hands clasped in front of him and matching Remy's position in every way possible.

"So, we have given up." Gusteau said, shrugging casually, "Trapped in a cage, awaiting a future in frozen food products."

"I haven't!" Sora snapped. He froze in place, suddenly realizing what he had just said and asked, "I thought only Remy and Sakuzy could see ya…"

"I am a wandering heart." Gusteau replied, "I only give helpful advice, NOT answers."

Sora shrugged to himself. At least he knew why Sakuzy had seen him before.

"And I was the one who gave up." Remy sighed, then looked over at Gusteau, "You are free."

"I am free as you imagine me to be, as free as YOU are." Gusteau corrected.

"Please. I'm sick of pretending." Remy said, standing up, walking around and voice raising to a shout, "I try to be a rat for my dad, I try to be a HUMAN through Linguini, I pretend YOU EXIST so I have someone to talk to! You tell me things I already know! I KNOW WHO I AM! WHY DO I NEED TO PRETEND?!"

"Ah, but you don't have to, Remy." Gusteau replied, chuckling warmly and putting a hand on Remy's shoulder, "You never did."

Gusteu then faded away into nothingness. Remy looked up at Sora.

"He had a point." Sora said, "You NEVER needed to pretend. YOU knew who you were. So…what are you?"

Both would have continued talking if something hadn't hit the pavement next to the car with a loud CRASH. "What was that?" Sora asked in surprise.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

On the roof, Sakuzy and Kairi were standing in front of an old rat with gray fur. THIS was Remy's father, Django. Sakuzy had apparently knocked a gargoyle off in an attempt to land it on the car.

"No," Django corrected, "My OTHER left!"

"Maybe you should've been more specific." Sakuzy growled, shoving off the next gargoyle.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Remy recognized the first voice and perked when he heard it. "Dad?" Remy asked, "DAD! I'M IN THE…"

The gargoyle smashed into the trunk, denting just enough for a rat to get in. And three rats were there to prove it…four, actually, as Emielle wormed his way in.

"Good to see ya, little brother!" Emielle said.

"EMIELLE!" Remy exclaimed.

"Hi, gramps!" Sakuzy said, popping in with Kairi.

"GUYS!" Sora exclaimed.

Sakuzy pried the cage's panels open and allowed Remy and Sora to wriggle out. Remy hugged Emielle and his dad with a joyous, "I LOVE YOU GUYS!"

Remy then released his dad and brother and took off without any further hesitation. "Where're you goin'?!" Remy's Dad shouted.

"The restaurant!" Remy called over his shoulder, "They'll fail without me!"

"WHY?!" Django shouted.

"BECAUSE I'M A COOK!" Remy called back, proudly.

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy simply shrugged before taking off after Remy yet again. They had gotten far with him so far, so they couldn't afford to let him go it alone.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Remy had just reached the restaurant when Django and Emielle tackled him. There were still a few people in the building, and Django knew what happened if a human saw a rat on the streets.

"Don't do it!" Django said, trying to restrain his son.

Remy struggled, and probably wouldn't have gotten free if Sora and Kairi didn't seize his dad and brother. But unlike them, the two Key-wielders were trying to free the blue rat…and they did.

"What're you doing? They'll kill him!" Emielle panicked, trying to reach Remy again.

"Trust him!" Sora said, keeping a firm hold on the brown rat's tail.

Django and Emielle burst free, however, and had just tackled Remy…right through the door of the restaurant. When Django and Emielle saw the giant humans before them, they scurried away into the shadows…but not Remy. When one of the chefs noticed Remy, the news was quickly spread and the other chefs went after him. Remy took a deep breath, his eyes scrunched shut, ready for the worst.

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy saw what was going on and they too shut their eyes as tightly as they could. Fortunately, it was just as they suspected because someone shouted, "DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

The four saw Linguini standing in front of Remy, defending the rat. In the end, the guy did care about Remy, despite how he had treated him.

"Thanks for comin' back, little chef." Linguini whispered, thankfully, to Remy. He then said, to the other cooks, "I know that this is gonna sound crazy, but the truth sounds crazy sometimes. The truth is…I can't cook. THIS rat has been cooking for me. He's been hiding under my toque." To set an example, Linguini put Remy on his head and the blue rat tugged on a few locks of Linguini's red hair.

Sora and Kairi, who had opened their eyes once things turned their way, were more than surprised to see what happened. When Remy pulled Linguini's hair, Linguini would move involuntarily, doing whatever movement Remy did. If the rat flexed his hand on the hair, Linguini's would open and close. If Remy pulled on the right strands, Linguini's legs and body would move rather than his arms.

"This rat has been cooking, THROUGH me." Linguini explained as Remy demonstrated, "But you actually believed I could cook when this rat did. If anyone can try to please Ego, I know he can. So, what do you say?"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Emielle and Django watched as all of the chefs walked out of the restaurant. It was obvious on what THEIR thoughts were…

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy watched this as Colette walked over to Linguini and raised a hand to slap him. She couldn't, so she walked out, too. At the fact of being abandoned, Linguini sighed before walking out, putting Remy down on the floor.

"What you did back there…"

Remy looked over to see that his fellows had followed him.

"Dad, don't think that I'm choosing this over family." Remy sighed, "Because…I can't choose two parts of myself."

"I'm not talkin' about choosin', I'm talkin' about GUTS." Django interrupted. He wasn't mad at all, actually…he was impressed. "This REALLY means that much to you?"

Remy thought hard, yet quickly, before nodding. Django gave his son a smile, then put his fingers in his mouth and emitted a shrill whistle. In the short span of three seconds, an entire army of rats flooded into the room.

"We may not be cooks, but we ARE family."

"Remy, you tell us what we need to do and we'll get it done." Sora grinned. And as the blue rat looked at the guys that helped him, he could only smile.

"We're with ya every step of the way." Sakuzy said, shaking the rat's hand.

The sentimental moment was brought to an all-too-abrupt end when a short man with a small mustache burst in and saw all of the rats. The man stared with wide eyes just as Sora spotted a poster with the man's picture on it. It read…

"Oh boy." Sora said, wide-eyed as the man, "He's a health inspector!"

The health inspector remained silent before taking off without another word. "STOP THAT HEALTH INSPECTOR (1)!" Remy ordered.

Django whistled and shouted, "ALPHA TEAM, LET'S GO!"

Django took off with other rats to try and stop the health inspector. Sakuzy took off after them. "Hey, I've gotta do somethin'!" Sakuzy said to himself, moments before running out with the Alpha Team.

Remy looked at a sign that read 'All Employees Must Wash their Hands'. He smiled at the rest of the rats as an idea crossed his mind.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

A metal panel slid up, releasing a cloud of steam and showing that the other rats' fur was all poofed up from the steam. The rats took in their looks, then stepped forward for orders.

"Team Four, roasted items!" Remy ordered, "Team Five, grills! Team Six Fish! Team Seven, sauces! Let's Go, go, GO!"

Before Remy could assign Sora or Kairi to a job in the kitchen, small pools of darkness began to dot the room. Out of these dark pools, Vermin Heartless began to flock into the room like a carpet of darkness.

"Oh boy…" Sora and Kairi said at the same time.

Remy, however, knew what had to be done. "Sora! Kairi! Take out the Heartless!"

They didn't have to be told twice, for Sora summoned Treasure Seeker and Kairi summoned Flowering Strength and charged in to fight the Heartless. It was time for a little exterminating business.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

The health inspector quickly hopped into his car and began turning the key. The engine didn't start, though he tried multiple times. His car was soon covered…by a torrent of rats!

It only made him try that much harder to start.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH

Back with Sora and Kairi, the two continued to hack through Heartless after Heartless.

Linguini then walked out and saw the rats cooking, like a well-oiled machine. Some rats used cheese wedges to sled down cheese graters, others sat atop pots, stirring with spoons bigger than themselves, and muscular rats were tenderizing the meats…with their fists.

Linguini then snapped his fingers and said, "Someone has to wait tables!"

In just a few seconds, the boy had quickly thrown on a waiter uniform and a pair of roller skates before zipping out to wait on tables. It was a high time for the restaurant tonight, and outside, Anton Ego was awaiting his order…which was whatever Linguini, or in this case Remy, dared to serve him.

Emielle

Remy's older brother. He's simpler than Remy is, living with whatever is given to him. However, he often lets his stomach guide his judgement. Still, he cares for his brother. He was the only person Remy could actually be himself around. He began snacking in _Ratatouille_ 2007.

Django

Remy's father and the leader of his clan, who was originally "never impressed". He believed that humans are a threat to rats everywhere and all that rats can do is survive. Still, when he saw what Remy did, his view was changed and he had the colony help Sora and co. out. He first appeared in _Ratatouille_ 2007.

_(1) Have you ever wondered if restaurants say that on a regular basis?_


	16. Cooking Up Heartless

Chapter 16: Cooking up Heartless

While Remy was busy giving out orders to the other rats, Sora and Kairi went about hacking Heartless down. The problem with this swarm of Vermin Heartless was their sheer numbers: there were even more than the last time they arrived.

Sora swung Treasure Seeker down onto the head of an oncoming Vermin, destroying it in a puff of smoke. But then, catching him completely by surprise, Treasure Seeker suddenly pulled him towards the room where Linguini was in.

Kairi immediately took notice and called, "Sora! What are you DOING?!"

"I don't know, I think it's this Keyblade, though…" Sora answered as the Keyblade dragged him away. All Sora could think of was that he was VERY thankful that Linguini left the doors open.

The Treasure Seeker dragged Sora to the middle of Linguini's new "office", then swerved to point at a toque that was preserved in a glass case. A small beam of golden light shot from the tip of the Treasure Seeker and struck the toque in the glass. For a while, the toque just glowed, then the line of light retracted, dragging a small piece of unknown parchment. Sora reached out and took the parchment to see a small design on it written in black ink.

"A map shard…" he said in amazement. He stared at it for a split second, then tucked it into the miniaturized form of his jacket before darting out the door.

Kairi continued hacking through the Vermin Heartless without the aid of Sora. In the short span of six seconds, she had taken out about thirty of the insectoid Heartless. However, an even larger battalion was approaching at an alarming rate. She looked up at Remy, who had just noticed and gave an affirming nod.

"Remy!"

"Let's get cookin'!" Remy said, pulling out a skillet and a cooking spoon.

Remy began to stir the contents, then flipped something out of the skillet. That thing was a flaming ball of cooking oil, and it went through the Vermin, scorching any that were in the way.

"Let's go, go, GO!" Remy said, swapping out the skillet for a red cooking pot. He clanged on it three times and any Heartless that had gotten too close were immediately sucked into the pot and stir-fried. Remy stirred the Heartless up with his cooking spoon, then stood back as they turned into either balls of fire to attack oncoming enemies or health orbs to be picked up by Kairi.

"Yeah!" Remy said with a smile, hopping down from his pot.

As luck would have it, the doors to the kitchen swung open to show…Colette, who had had an obvious change of heart. She gasped as she saw the myriad of rats at their cooking positions and the dozens of black creatures on the floor. She clapped a hand to her mouth, gagging, then turned to leave. Linguini, however, stopped her with a tight hug.

"Colette! You came…"

"Uh!" Colette interrupted, holding up a finger, "If you explain, I might change my mind. Just tell me what the rat wants to cook."

Remy reached into a recipe box and handed Colette a card. Colette took the recipe in and asked, somewhat dumbfounded, "Ratatouille? It is a peasant dish. Are you sure you want to serve this to Ego?"

Remy gave it a quick thought, then nodded (Rats in this world couldn't be understood by humans). Just at that moment, the doors burst open and rats, led by Django and Sakuzy, dragged a bound and gagged health inspector in. They dragged the health inspector, who was emitting muffled screams all the way in, over to the food storage and tossed him in. The metal door slammed shut to reveal a bulky rat, which was showing every hint of satisfaction.

At that moment, Sora came out of Linguini's office and tapped Kairi on the shoulder. He raised the parchment just as she turned around, and she beamed. "You found it?" She asked, taking it from him.

"Yeah. It was in Linguini's office the whole time." Sora said, scratching the back of his furry head, "Who knew?"

Colette had just gotten a pot to make Ratatouille, as it was commonly served as a stew. But for some reason, Remy stopped her.

"What? I'm making Ratatouille." She pointed out. When she saw Remy shake his head, she sighed and asked, "Well, how would YOU prepare it?"

Remy pulled out some vegetables and began to cut them into thin slices. He let Colette take over, then lathered a pot in a thick, juicy, red sauce. He then began to toss the slices of vegetable and began to align them in a circular motion until they filled the pot. A few minutes in the oven, and the vegetables were well cooked and steamed. Remy got a large spoon and placed a ball of the Ratatouille on a plate. He ladled some delicious-looking sauce on it and gave the thumbs' up to Linguini. Linguini took two dishes of the Ratatouille, and headed out the door (a shady customer ordered the same thing Ego did).

"Well, it's out of our hands now." Sakuzy said, wiping out a Heartless.

Sora and Kairi looked around, the Heartless still at large. But a few tense seconds later, all of them vanished out of existence. For a while, Sora just stared, then the whole silence came to an end.

The shady customer burst in and shouted, "WHO COOKED THE RATATOUILLE?! I DEMAND TO KNOW!"

The shady customer removed his sunglasses…to see all the rats working in the kitchen. The shady customer…was Skinner! At the side of all the rats in the kitchen, he stared in awe and dropped his sunglasses, which hit the floor with a clatter.

Mere minutes later, Skinner was bound and gagged and tossed into the refrigerator with the health inspector.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that." Sakuzy said, showing every hint of satisfaction as he threw his shoulder into the door, slamming it shut.

"I think he likes it!" Sora exclaimed as kept watch of Ego, "Well…color's gotten into his face and he ate all of it."

"Does this mean we have to go?" Kairi asked.

"I guess so." Sora replied.

"I'm gonna miss you guys." Remy said, skittering over to Sora and co.

"We'll miss ya, too, Remy." Sora replied, shaking Remy's hand, "But we'll come back. I promise."

Sora and co. looked up as they walked off into the streets of France. "Well, at least the restaurant can't lose anymore credibility." Sakuzy stated.

Little did they know that, mere days after their departure, Gusteau's would be shut down. Of course, they had to let Skinner and the health inspector go and, obviously, they ratted them out (no pun intended).

_Remy's Charbroil._


	17. Nobody Missions

Chapter 17: Nobody Missions

Unknown World…

Kurix was sitting on his chair, fingers made into a steeple. He was waiting…waiting for his two most trusted members to give their reports.

As if on cue, Yaxm and Xeydin appeared in portals of darkness. They stepped out of the darkness and knelt before Kurix.

"Stand." Kurix commanded with a wave of his hand, "What of the others?"

"I know where Goxryu, Xijm, and Xoral are." Yaxm reported, "Goxryu's in some medieval world." She snickered slightly. "He hates it because of the lack of technology, but still, it'll give him an advantage over its backwater inhabitants."

"Go on…" Kurix said, beckoning with his hand again.

"Xijm is in that pirate world to 'help' purge it of those miserable plunderers." Yaxm shuddered at the thought of pirates, "And Xoral's at the desert world. Something about wanting a decent amount of sun."

Kurix turned to Xeydin, the Memory Assassin, then said, "Do you have anything to say?"

"Xedge is in the world with that arachnid hero. He has no lead on the map shard yet, but I'm sure he'll make someone talk." Xeydin continued, "Xail is checking around Radiant Garden, said something about a voyage to find a new energy source. Figured it would be of great assistance to us. Lorux is in the island world, looking for his next victim."

"Victim?" Kurix asked, furrowing his brow and causing the scar over his eye to move.

"Yeah, namely that oh-so-powerful ball of fluff everyone's talking about. And to top things off, Bulex is in another medieval world. Unlike Goxryu, ol' Buddha isn't complaining." Xeydin chuckled slightly. "Never does as a matter of fact."

"What of Ohryx and Xiklub?" Kurix asked.

"I wouldn't worry about Xiklub. He's chained up in his chamber, but I might send him to find Lorux." Yaxm replied, then shifted her gaze down to the floor, "As for Ohryx…I don't know." Yaxm replied, "He's been acting sulkier than usual lately."

"Should we keep an eye on him?" Xeydin asked, "If he's operating his own agenda, that is."

"I wouldn't put it past him. Ever since he met that Prince of Heart and the Keyblade Master, he's acted…differently." Kurix replied, blandly, then looked up at the two, "Keep an eye on him."

Elsewhere, Ohryx was listening to this entire conversation. He mentally snorted to himself. To think that this person, a mere boy compared to him, would even DREAM about trying to put a tail on him.

"One thing is certain." Ohryx said to himself as the thought of J entered his mind, "Mr. Kayde WILL die by my hands…because I have the perfect bait for him, for he both desires to meet them…one from love and the other from hate."


	18. A Thick Forest

Chapter 18: In a Thick Forest

Narnia…

A boy of no more than seventeen or eighteen with tanned skin rode out on his horse. He glanced behind to see a group of armored soldiers pursuing him. He steered his mount toward the forests. He would lose the soldiers in the trees, no doubt about it. Even as he rode through the woods, the soldiers continued their pursuit. He looked ahead to see where he was going now…at precisely the wrong time because his head collided with a branch.

The sheer impact knocked the man off his horse and landed in a heap on the ground. Out of a hole near a tree, three small figures appeared. Two of them looked at least humanoid. One of the figures ran out to show that he was bald and had a long, red beard that was paling. He drew his sword and looked ready to kill the boy. However, he noticed something lying next to him—a horn made of ivory and carved in the shape of a lion's head. He pulled out his sword and turned over to the oncoming soldiers.

"PROTECT HIM!" the dwarf shouted before charging to fight the soldiers.

The boy looked over to his horn. Dr. Cornelius had told him not to blow it in case of an emergency. He figured that THIS counted as an emergency. He picked up the horn and blew.

Joey, Maya, and Riley walked through a dense forest. Joey used his Treasure Seeker as a machete to cut the branches, clearing a pathway through the forest. Riley was behind Joey and Maya, swatting bugs constantly.

"WHY am I the one who's always tormented?!" Riley demanded of no one in particular, "When I'm with Ben, I get shot at. When I'm with the Restoration Committee, I'm attacked by Heartless. And when I'm with YOU guys, I get eaten alive by flies."

"Technically, you're not getting eaten alive." Joey stated, "They're just annoying you."

"Whatever." Riley sighed, swatting another fly, "They're still pains in the neck."

"Speaking of which," Joey said, running a finger through his brown hair, "WHY did you drop us off here?"

"I told you, I didn't drop us off here." Riley said, irritably, "The Gummi Ship just spat us out into this godforsaken forest. I dunno why."

"At least this world has a map shard." Maya said, optimistically, "Joey's Treasure Seeker told us that."

"Well, if it is, I hope it's not too far away." Joey muttered, hacking a few more branches away.

_Leaves flutter down and a lion's roar causes them to flutter away, leaving the word 'Narnia' in large, red and gold letters. The letters then fade in a shower of golden lights._

The three then sighed as they arrived at a clearing with several hunks of ruin everywhere. Joey sat down on a piece of what was once a proud throne, looking out at the seashore.

"What kinda place is this?" he asked.

"Well, this was once a great castle." Maya replied, "You can tell. It kinda looks like Maleficent's Castle in Radiant Garden…from our time, anyway."

There was an odd silence and both Joey and Maya turned to see Riley giving them a weird look. "Sometimes, the things YOU future guys know scares me." Riley stated.

In a grand palace, a man with a Spanish look walked in. Several people were sitting around. THIS was the council of the Telmarines. The Spanish man was Miraz, the lord protector. He had been that since his brother, Caspian IX, had died (*cough* murderer *cough*).

Neither, however, noticed the cloaked figure hidden on the ceiling. The figure, had it been standing, would have stood over seven feet tall. Whenever it moved, small clicks and whirs would sound. How it clung to the wall was currently a mystery. And avoiding sight was its main objective now…

"Isn't it convenient, Miraz," stated a member of the council, "That your nephew disappeared on the same night that your queen gave birth to your son? You claim to be the lord protector, but you have acted like the king since Caspian IX died!"

"There is nothing convenient about it." Miraz replied, "Caspian has been kidnapped…by Narnians!"

On hearing that statement, the council could only chuckle at how stupid it sounded.

"Narnians are old wives' tales." One member snorted.

Miraz obviously didn't like that statement. He snapped his fingers and several guards walked in and tossed a short man into the center of the room.

"As you can see, the Narnians are all too real." Miraz said, "While we thought they were extinct, they have been waiting and growing…like COCKROACHES under a rock!"

Upon the word 'rock', Miraz dealt the dwarf a blow across the face. The dwarf looked up, his gag slipped down a bit.

All the dwarf had to say was…"And you wonder why we don't like you (1)."

"King" Miraz

The usurping king of the Telmarines in Narnia. He killed his brother, Caspian IX, to take the throne and killed or exiled the lords who were good friends to mentioned king. He was content to raise his brother's son, Caspian X. However, when his own wife gave birth to a son, he ordered Caspian to be killed. NOW, he's aligned himself with Maleficent and the Heartless to exterminate the Narnians, which he long-thought extinct. He began his reign of terror in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

_When I watched THIS movie, I had to say that (unusual though it may be for these kinds of movies) it was better than the book._

_Incidentally, I'll be mixing parts of the movie and book together for time._

_(1) I hear this line and think "I'm gonna LIKE this guy…"_


	19. Savage Narnia

Chapter 19: Savage Narnia

Joey closed his eyes and let out a sigh. With most people, this would probably mean exasperation. However, THIS was a form of allowing calm into Joey. He often let his playful/mischievous nature or his short temper guide his actions. Doing THIS allowed his true feature to take control—intelligence. He always was one of the sharpest Key-bearers, using his somewhat immature nature to make people underestimate him and make a fatal blunder. It also helped him relax and become…aware.

His eyes snapped open as he glanced over to the left. He saw that the place they were sitting on was a peninsula: a piece of land jutting out into the ocean. He also noticed something—a boat.

"Guys, we've got company." The chain-wielder stated.

Without another word, Joey took off, leaving a very confused Riley Poole in his wake. "O-kay, what was that about?" Riley asked.

"Oh, Joey's little meditation deal." Maya replied with a small smile.

Maya ran after Joey. Riley sighed before trotting after them in a nonchalant sort of way.

The two found Joey at a river, watching a boat intently. "Looks like they're gonna dunk something." Joey stated, jerking his head toward the boat.

There were two people in the boat, clad in armor. They heaved something up and the group saw that it was a person…sort of. The person was…unusually short.

"We can't just let him drown!" Maya hissed and raising her Keyblade. She pointed it at the two soldiers and shouted, "DROP HIM! BLIZZAGA!"

A blast of ice came out and nailed a soldier in the chest. The soldier yelled in pain before he froze over and fell out of the boat. Joey summoned Treasure Seeker and jammed his thumb into the handle. All he got was a somewhat sore thumb.

"Dang it!" he cursed, shaking the pain from his hand, "I miss my Chain Thrasher…"

Shooting out a chain was not necessary, seeing as the other soldier jumped into the river…after tossing the bundle into the water.

"NO WORRIES, KID!" Joey shouted, dashing for the river, "I'LL SAVE YOU!"

Joey jumped into the water and heaved the bundle out. His Treasure Seeker flashed and cut through the ropes binding the person. And as Joey heaved the "kid" onto the shoreline, he noticed something: this "kid" had a beard.

"Hey! You're no kid!" Joey exclaimed, cutting the little man's gag.

The guy coughed up water, then spat, "Of course I'm not, you…" But before the short guy could come up with an insult for Joey, he wheeled over to Maya and shouted, "DROP HIM'?! THAT'S THE BEST YOU COULD DO?!"

"We could've let ya drown if it'd help." Joey shrugged.

"Who are you, anyway?!" the little man, or dwarf, demanded.

"I'm Joey." Joey introduced, gesturing to each member in turn as he said their names, "And these are Maya and Riley. Who are YOU?"

"Trumpkin." The dwarf replied, in a surly voice, still trying to ease his breathing.

"Alright, Trumpkin," Joey said, "You're awful snarky for a guy who's less than three feet tall."

"WHO do you think you are?!" Trumpkin demanded.

"Uh…" Joey said, summoning his Keyblade.

Trumpkin stared at the key-shaped sword in a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me." Trumpkin groaned.

"What?" Maya asked.

"You're the Keyblade warriors." Trumpkin said, pointing at the weapons they held.

"Well, THEY are." Riley pointed out, gesturing at Joey and Maya, "I'm just…here."

"I guess that horn was worth somethin' after all." Trumpkin stated, actually meaning it.

"What horn?" Joey asked.

A short, plump man walked through the castle and arrived in his study…to find Miraz there to meet him, reading what looked like an old history book. When the man entered, Miraz snapped it shut.

"You have quite an interesting library, Cornelius." Miraz complimented.

"What is your business here, Miraz?" Cornelius asked, noticing that Miraz was giving him the "evil eye".

"I have found evidence that there are Keywielders in Narnia…" Miraz then slammed a piece of armor down, to show that it was frosted over, "IN ONE OF MY SOLDIERS' ARMOR."

Doctor Cornelius looked where Miraz had slammed the piece of armor. It was slammed down on a very old picture. Depicted on it was Sora, Riku (who had a diamond fist), Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Sakuzy (who was wearing an Organization XIII coat), and someone who looked like Joey. The lookalike, however, had black hair tied back in a ponytail, and a chain whip instead of the Chain Thrasher Keyblade.

"The Keywielders?" Cornelius asked, raising his brow.

Miraz leaned over to Cornelius and asked, in a soft, threatening voice, "WHAT do you know about the old stories?"

The new group of four arrived on the next shore. Trumpkin was in some argument with Joey and Riley was trying to get his land legs back. Apparently, he suffered from seasickness…

Trumpkin had briefed them about what happened. Apparently, over a thousand years ago, Sora and a few friends arrived here. They had helped defeat the White Witch and bring peace to Narnia. Not too long after they left, four children named Peter, Susie, Edmund, and Lucy had appeared and brought Narnia into its Golden Age. However, the four children had vanished and Narnia had been conquered by the Telmarines, who had tried to wipe out the Narnians. By Narnians, he meant talking Animals, dwarfs, centaurs, minotaurs, fauns, griffins, and several others.

However, the Narnians were NOT extinct, but in hiding. And the Old Narnians had some hope—in the form of a young, Telmarine prince. Trumpkin didn't get his name, but he KNEW it was someone important by the sight of the ivory horn he dropped…though he didn't believe it had magical properties.

Maya glanced over to see a black bear lumbering towards them. She walked over to it and said, "Hello. I'm Maya."

Maya had done her homework, and she had learned that Narnia, before its dark end, had animals that could talk. So, it came as no surprise that she half-expected the bear to reply. Instead, the bear glanced over to the source of the noise and reared up on its hind legs.

"Hey, what's goin' on?!" Riley shouted. The scene of Maya, intentionally, walking over to a big bear. "Uh…she DOES know that's a BEAR, right?" he asked, "Big, ferocious, man-eating…"

The bear did not speak, it roared and Maya backed off and summoned her Keyblade. The bear looked ready to strike, but it suddenly recoiled and looked down. Maya hadn't fired a spell. Trumpkin had fired an arrow, which hit the bear directly over the heart. The bear fell to the ground, dead.

"I…I thought it was a talking bear." Maya said, shaken up.

Trumpkin walked over to the bear's carcass, removed the arrow, and filled in for her. "You get TREATED like a dumb animal long enough, you BECOME one."

"This…isn't exactly what I imagined this world to be." Joey admitted.

"You'll find that the real Narnia is a much more savage place than you thought." Trumpkin replied, pulling out a knife. Everyone stared at him. He said, "There's good meat on a bear. If you're squeamish, look the other way."

Riley walked away before Trumpkin could get. Maya just stared at her feet as the dwarf cut away at the bear. Joey, on the other hand, thought, _How bad could it be?_ He found out when Trumpkin gutted the beast, and the Keyblader turned a sickly green, ran over to the river, and upchucked.

Trumpkin's response to this act was to say, "You were warned…"

Trumpkin

A Red Dwarf of Narnia with a thing for archery. He was captured by Miraz and was sentenced to be drowned. However, Joey, Maya, and Riley saved him and he is taking them to find their Telmarine savior. He is sarcastic, a bit pessimistic, and doesn't believe in magic or Aslan. He first appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

Doctor Cornelius

The tutor to the Telmarine savior. He's a half dwarf, his mother being a Black Dwarf. He taught the champion of the Old Narnians about Old Narnia itself. NOW, he is under suspicion by Miraz. He first appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

_Merry Christmas, loyal readers, and a Happy New Year!_


	20. Aslan's Reasoning

Chapter 20: Aslan's Reasoning

The four walked through the thick forests. Trumpkin said that the Telmarines wouldn't follow them there because they believed that it was haunted. The four rowed most of the way on their journey, but then again, rivers didn't exactly go on forever or in the right direction.

Riley was, once again, getting attacked by mosquitoes and basically being eaten alive. The mosquitoes seemed to have it in for the guy (1). "WHY is it always ME?!" Riley growled while swatting his insectoid attackers.

"I dunno." Joey shrugged, continuing to hack at the trees with his Keyblade as a machete.

"I don't like this." Maya said, "I think the Heartless are here."

"The what?" Trumpkin asked.

"Heartless." Joey explained, "Creatures from darkness without hearts. They're black, some have weird heart symbols on their chests, but they ALL have weird, yellow eyes."

As if on cue, several wolf-like Heartless sprung over and snarled.

"Oh, man! I hate it when I'm right" Joey swore, summoning Treasure Seeker, "Wolf Heartless!"

Trumpkin pulled out his bow and shot through a Wolf Heartless, which vanished in a puff of smoke.

Maya held her Keyblade out and shot a burst of light through another Heartless. One actually seemed to have tackled her, but it turned out that she had it all under control. She rolled backward and actually kicked it back into a tree.

Joey ran around a group of Heartless, catching their attention. The three were watching Joey run with the Heartless in hot pursuit.

"What IS he doing?" Trumpkin asked.

"You'll see." Maya replied, "THIS is Joey's specialty."

Joey and the Heartless ran around the part of the forest. Joey stopped as two groups of Heartless charged at him. He shrugged and jumped up, catching a tree limb with Treasure Seeker. The Wolf Heartless packs collided and vanished in puffs of smoke. Joey cracked his neck and then his fingers, all the while with a cocky grin on his face.

"Piece of cake." He said, combing back his hair.

However, he no sooner said this than a group of Telmarine soldiers came in. Riley, who spent a good part of the fight with the Heartless hiding, popped back up…just in time to see the Telmarines pointing crossbows at them.

"Just my luck…" he sighed. However, the Telmarines soon screamed and fell into the tall grass. Riley stared and asked, "Am I the only one who's reminded of a Steven Spielburg movie?"

Joey held up the Treasure Seeker, just in case. He heard something and lashed out at the vegetation. Something then knocked his Keyblade out of his hand and jumped onto his chest, bowling him over.

"Choose your last words carefully!"

Joey stared at his attacker, expecting some kind of fierce monster. But what he saw surprised him. "You're a mouse…"

It was true. The thing that had attacked the Telmarines was a mouse, less than two feet tall, with golden-brown fur, a gold circlet around his right ear with a red feather in it, and a tiny rapier in his hand. He sighed in exasperation.

"I was hoping for something a little more original." The mouse murmured before commanding, "Pick up your blade!"

"I think I'll pass." Joey replied, shakily.

"I will NOT kill an unarmed opponent." The mouse snapped.

"Which is why I think I'll have a better chance of living if I DON'T have it." Joey replied.

"Reepicheep." Trumpkin sighed.

The mouse whipped around at the sound of his name and noticed the red dwarf. "Trumpkin." Reepicheep stated, poking Joey in the nose with his sword, "I hope you have a good reason for this!"

"Actually, I do." Trumpkin replied, blandly, "Notice his sword?"

Reepicheep glanced at Joey's Keyblade and his tiny, black eyes widened in awe. Maya glanced over to Reepicheep.

"Oh, he's so cute…" she said.

"WHO SAID THAT?!" Reepicheep demanded, drawing his sword. He glanced over to Maya and held up his sword.

"She's with us." Joey stated, "Now could you PLEASE remove yourself from my body?"

The group continued on their way with a small group of talking mice marching behind them (2). They arrived at a gorge with a river rushing at the bottom and Joey had to peek over the edge. He backed away by two steps.

"How'd THIS happen?" Maya asked.

"Well, centuries of water, constantly rushing through the ground would wear it away…" Riley explained.

"And then BOOM!" Joey interrupted, gesturing at the gorge, "THIS happens."

Joey was as smart as Riley, possibly smarter, but preferred to keep things simpler. It was better that way, in his opinion. That way, he could annoy his opponents and trick them at the same time.

"Is there any way down?" Maya asked.

"Yeah." Trumpkin replied, "Falling."

"I think we should go along the edge, where it narrows down." Riley suggested.

Maya squinted her eyes and cocked her head to one side to try and get a better view. Joey looked over to her with a confused look.

"What?" Joey asked.

"There's…some lion that's wanting me to follow him." Maya replied.

"If it's a lion, I thought that we should go AWAY from him." Riley stated.

"A lion?!" Reepicheep asked, excitedly, "There hasn't been a lion seen since the great lion, Aslan!"

"Incidentally, I thought this deal was a BOOK series." Riley said.

"Yeah, but the guys at Disney and Walden Media had other plans." Joey replied.

"Aslan." Trumpkin scoffed, "All that's a bunch of beets and barnacles."

"Where'd you think you saw this lion?" Joey asked.

Maya gaped, offended, then stated, "I don't THINK I saw the lion. I KNOW I saw him! He wanted us to go the OPPOSITE way we were considering!"

"Alright, we'll take a vote." Joey said, "Trumpkin starts."

"Down." Trumpkin said, immediately, "It's the fastest way."

"O-kay…Riley?" Joey asked.

"Don't take this personally, Maya, but down." Riley replied, "I'm exhausted, I'm starving, AND I'M GETTING ATTACKED BY BUGS!"

"Maya?" Joey asked.

"Up." Maya replied, "There's…something about that lion that makes me think I should follow him."

"What about you, Reepicheep?" Joey asked the mouse.

"I vote that we should go up." Reepicheep replied, "Aslan's instructions ALWAYS work. There are NO exceptions (3)."

"I've got the deciding vote then." Joey said. He sighed before saying, "Down. I'm sorry, Maya."

The group slowly descended into the canyon, Maya and Reepicheep somewhat put down. The mouse deftly prodded Maya's leg and she turned in curiosity.

"If it makes you feel better, I believe you." Reepicheep said, comfort in his voice.

The group soon found themselves at what used to be the Fords of Beruna, where the Key-wielders fought the White Witch. This was the site of a great battle, where Sora was nearly killed. He would have if a brave and wise lion had not saved his skin.

NOW, however, it was a bustling town, filled with soldiers. "Oh boy…" Riley said, eyes wide.

"Looks like we've gotta go back." Maya said to the group.

Joey, Trumpkin, and Reepicheep however, glanced at a wagon and devious looks appeared on their faces. Joey summoned Treasure Seeker and Trumpkin and Reepicheep pulled out their blades.

The three returned to the top of the gorge. However, it was already dark by the time they arrived. They were forced to make camp and rest.

Suddenly, Maya sat up. She had DEFINITELY heard something now. She thought it was the rustling of the trees, but there was something…different about it. She then noticed that the "rustling" was actually someone calling to her.

"Maya…" it said in a whisper similar to the wind, "Maya…"

Maya had to stand up and, subconsciously, she began to walk towards the voice. She maneuvered around trees and brush alike as she followed the voice. As she went deeper into the forest, she noticed that the woods had a new air to it. Day seemed to come early, for it resembled a morning. The trees gently swayed in the breeze and leaves slowly fell from their mounts in the trees.

Maya continued through the woods until she entered a clearing and saw a lion, which was about the size of a carthorse! But while she was scared at first, she also thought that the lion was the most majestic beast she had ever seen.

"Who…who are you?" Maya asked, unable to move or stop shaking.

"You do not yet know me, but I have known you for all your life." The lion replied in a sincere and wise voice, "You were one of the few members of your group who could see me. Why didn't you follow me?"

"I…I tried to." Maya replied, shakily, "But the others didn't want to…except Reepicheep."

"Should that have stopped you from coming to me?" The lion asked in turn.

Maya found that she didn't have an answer. She simply asked, "Are you Aslan?"

"What does your heart tell you?" the lion asked in turn (4).

Maya closed her eyes, then opened them and couldn't help but beam. "You are." Maya, unable to help herself anymore, ran over and threw her arms around Aslan's mane.

"Now, time is short." Aslan explained, "You must find your friends and fly to my Howe at once. You are needed."

"Right." Maya said, nodding and running off to the forest to find her friends.

Maya darted over to where Reepicheep was and quickly woke him up. The mouse jumped out, pulled out his sword, and began to slash wildly, as if he was expecting an attacker.

"Easy, Reep." Maya said, "It's me."

"Oh. Maya." Reepicheep said, sheathing his sword, "To what do I owe this early visit? And should you not be resting?"

"I saw Aslan." Maya said, "He said we should go at ONCE and we should wake Joey, Riley, and Trumpkin."

"Aslan?" Reepicheep asked, dumbstruck. He then brightened up and said, now wide awake, "We should start AT ONCE!"

Reepicheep woke his other mice and they were ready to move at once. The Chief Mouse then walked over to Riley and prodded him with his tiny sword.

"OW!" Riley shouted, "Watch it, Jerry!"

"Riley, we must make haste!" Reepicheep said, "Maya has seen Aslan and he wishes us to go to Caspian at once!"

"The only question I have is WHY he couldn't have told us to come EARLIER." Riley mumbled, "Y'know, when we WEREN'T half-asleep?!"

Maya bolted over to Joey and Trumpkin and frankly woke up the dwarf. "Pickles and pumpkins…" Trumpkin murmured as he got up, "What now?"

Maya didn't wait for a response as she bolted over to Joey and shook the latter awake. "Whatever it is, I DIDN'T DO IT!" Joey said, bolting from sleep in an instant.

"I've seen Aslan!" Maya replied in a hushed voice, "He wants us to go NOW!"

"Fine." Joey groaned, standing up, "Guys, we're off. THAT includes YOU, Riley."

"This had BETTER not end up with broken bones…" Trumpkin muttered.

"Why couldn't the guy have come earlier when we WEREN'T half-asleep?" Joey asked.

"Joey, I already USED that joke." Riley stated.

The group followed Maya's lead through the wood, Joey staying behind to keep an eye out for ambushes. He was just on duty when he heard something…a branch snapping.

Joey froze, then slowly looked to his left. He took out Treasure Seeker, then removed its keychain to replace it with Chain Thrasher. If whatever moved was a threat, he would have to use his best…

Reepicheep

A mouse warrior of Narnia. His kind is extremely loyal to Aslan, especially this individual. He is skilled in the way of the sword and believes strongly in honor…though this makes him a bit overly dramatic. He first appeared in _Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, _2008.

Aslan

The ruler of all Narnia and a truly magnificent lion. Aslan helped Sora and his friends when they had come here a year ago. But one year outside Narnia appears to be over a thousand for them. Aslan does seem bigger than he was during a Keyblader's first visit. He first appeared in _Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, _2005.

_This happens to my dad…ALL THE TIME._

_Reepicheep didn't join the group in either the movie or the book, but he was such a good character that I just couldn't resist._

_Excerpt from another Narnia book, "The Silver Chair"._

_Note that, in all his appearances, Aslan never introduces himself. He lets other people decide whether it's him. THAT'S what I call symbolism._


	21. I Am Prince Caspian

Chapter 21: I Am Prince Caspian

Joey kept his Chain Thrasher at the ready as the group arrived at the same spot they were in earlier that day.

"NOW what?" Riley asked.

"I think we should…" Maya stepped onto a piece of land, but it immediately gave way, causing her to drop out of sight!

"MAYA!" everyone shouted.

Joey darted over, expecting to see Maya dangling off something. What he DIDN'T expect to see Maya standing on a rock, which was going down towards the gorge. Completely invisible to those who weren't looking for it.

"Guess this is our way down." Riley said.

"And I think our Dear Little Friend was wrong." Joey grinned as he stepped down.

"Oh, that's not patronizing at all, is it?" Trumpkin asked, sarcastically.

The group soon arrived at Aslan's Howe—the large hill where the Stone Table once stood, where the White Witch killed Aslan, where the Stone Table cracked in half, and where Aslan had returned to kill the Witch and restore peace to Narnia.

The group immediately saw two badgers, which were standing in front of the entrance like sentinels.

"Stop!" one of the badgers barked, "Who is it?!"

"Trumpkin the Dwarf and Reepicheep the Mouse." Trumpkin replied, "Bringing two Keybladers."

"And…me." Riley added.

The badger's faces lightened considerably.

"At last…" one said, "Go on ahead!"

The five immediately walked into the cave. As soon as their spelunking deal began, Joey, Maya, and Riley noticed certain designs on it. Joey looked over them to see pictures of Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Sakuzy, and someone who looked remarkably like Joey, except with a chain around his arm and midsection, hair tied back into a ponytail, and a coat that resembled that of Organization XIII.

"That guy looks…" Joey said. The group looked at him. However, the Chain Thrasher wielder simply looked impressed with the figure as he finished with two simple words, "Unusually handsome."

The group continued through the cave until they came to what appeared to be a dead-end.

"We came all this way just to meet a stone wall?" Joey asked, silently.

"This 'stone wall' is the door." Trumpkin sighed. Suddenly, people were talking, "Be quiet!"

"We have tried the horn and it has failed!" a low voice snapped.

"That's an old friend of mine, Nikkabrik." Trumpkin said.

"Help WILL come." An elderly voice barked, "It might even be at this door!"

"That's Trufflehunter, a badger." Reepicheep said.

"It has been rumored among the army that we have used the ancient horn and it has failed." A third voice said.

"I think that's Doctor Cornelius." Trumpkin said, uncertainly.

"You stuck your nose in a hornet's nest, half dwarf, if you're gonna suggest that I am the blab!" Nikkabrik's voice snapped, "TAKE IT BACK!"

"Stop it!" shouted a voice with a Spanish accent, "I want to hear this idea that Nikkabrik keeps hinting we should do, along with those two who listen, but keep silent."

"That was the Telmarine, Prince Caspian." Trumpkin stated.

"They are…friends of mine." Nikkabrik replied.

"You wish to defeat Miraz?" asked a somewhat cracked, female voice, "You need hate. NOBODY hates better than us."

"I think I know what YOU are." The voice of Cornelius replied, "What about your other friend?"

"I am hunger. I am thirst." Replied a low, feral voice, "Where I bite, I hold 'til I die. And even when I die, you must cut out my mouthful and bury it with me! I can fast a hundred years and not starve. I can lay a hundred nights on ice and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst. Show me your enemy!"

"As I was saying," the voice of Nikkabrik continued, "We tried the horn and it has failed. We TRIED the wielders of the Keyblades and they have not come."

"Or they are on their way." The voice of Trufflehunter objected.

"You can say that until Miraz feeds ya to the dogs!" Nikkabrik barked, "As I was saying, we called on the Key Bearers and it didn't work. But legends speak of something else."

"You mean Aslan?" Cornelius' voice asked.

"Wouldn't he just as well send the Keyblade wielders as come himself?" Trufflehunter asked.

"I'm not talking about Aslan. I'm talking about a power so greater than Aslan that it held Narnia SPELLBOUND for a hundred years!" Nikkabrik said, voice rising, "I'm talking about the White Witch! She stamped out the beavers I say, because there's none of their folk in Narnia now. She bound Aslan on this table and KILLED him!"

"Didn't the old stories say he came back?" Caspian asked, "Didn't he put the four kings and queens on their thrones?"

"A king who just won a war can crown himself without a performing lion!" Nikkabrik snapped, "Perhaps the reason the old tales don't mention Aslan anymore was because there was nothing TO mention?! Besides, Aslan wasn't always friends with the dwarfs or even to all you beasts, ask the wolves. Besides, you're mistreating my people! Who goes on all the dangerous raids? Dwarfs! Who goes short when the rations fail? DWARFS!"

"LIES, ALL LIES!" shouted Trufflehunter.

"And if you can't help my people, I'll go to someone who CAN!" Nikkabrik continued, ignoring Trufflehunter.

There was a sound of a sword being drawn and Caspian demanded, "Is this open treason, dwarf?!"

"Stop! STOP!" Cornelius barked, "What is Nikkabrik getting at? The Witch is dead. ALL the old stories agree on that."

"The gracious doctor is only poking fun at us when he says that." The female voice cackled, "Whoever heard of a witch that REALLY died?! YOU CAN ALWAYS BRING THEM BACK!"

There was a scuffle as the growly voice said, "They're ready. Prepare the Heartless!"

"So, THAT is your plan, Nikkabrik!" Caspian snarled, "Using the Heartless and calling up an accursed ghost! I know who your companions are NOW—A HAG AND A WEREWOLF!"

Upon those words, the four heroes burst in to see a badger and someone who looked like Trumpkin, but with gray hair and beard and was slightly taller, were pinned down by something that looked like a bipedal wolf. The third person was being held by a strange, old woman and a dwarf with black hair. In front of them was a large wall of ice with the figure inside. However, the ice was only about two feet thick, so no one could have been frozen in there. No LIVING person…

The figure inside was a tall woman with white skin, blonde hair, and a robe that seemed to be made of polar bear skin.

"Beards and bedsteads!" Trumpkin exclaimed out of sheer terror, "It's the White Witch!"

"One drop of Adam's blood,…" the White Witch said in a soft voice, extending her hand through the ice, "And I shall return."

"BACK OFF, MIDGET!" Joey shouted, summoning his Treasure Seeker as Maya summoned the Two-Winged Angel.

Trumpkin and Reepicheep pulled out their swords as Riley ducked out of sight. Treasure hunting may have been his shtick, but fighting…nah.

The ugly woman, who was a hag, screeched and bolted at Maya, who barely blocked with her Keyblade.

Reepicheep pulled out his sword as the werewolf howled and pounced at the mouse. Reepicheep, however, ducked under the werewolf's legs and caught him. The werewolf snarled in surprise, then turned on the mouse, who tossed his rapier into the air and caught it again.

"Is that all, foul beast?" the mouse said, pointing his sword at the werewolf.

It was a bit amusing to see such a fierce beast being beaten by a rodent, some people admitted.

Joey shoved the third person out of the circle, but was caught in there himself. The woman gave him a seductive smile.

"Joyex." She said, "It has been too long."

Joey looked around to see if she was addressing anyone else. On seeing no one, he scratched his head. "Who're you talking about?" he asked, slightly frustrated that some people were mistaking him for someone else, "I'm Joey. JO-EY. Get it?"

"I also know of your quest." The woman, who was the White Witch, said, holding out an inviting hand. "One drop of your blood and I can arise to destroy the Seekers for you."

Joey gripped his Keyblade. Was he SERIOUSLY considering helping this evil tyrant return?! Sure, they needed all the help they could get with the Seekers, but that wasn't enough reason to return someone who commanded the Heartless…or was it?

"One drop and I'm…"

A reasonably large rock then flew through the ice, and the White Witch screamed as her icy window shattered like glass. Standing behind the ice sheet wasn't Trumpkin, Reepicheep, or Maya.

It was…Riley.

For a while, Riley just stared at the floor, which was still frosty. And after a bit of an awkward silence, he finally spoke. "That's it?" Riley asked, "That's all we gotta do? Well, that was anti-climatic…"

"Thanks, Riley." Joey said, "I was probably close to making a huge mistake…"

"No problem." Riley replied, "Heard she was a royal pain in the butt anyway."

Maya and Trumpkin walked out while Reepicheep stayed on top of his defeated enemy. The mouse was standing atop the werewolf, triumphantly, his sword lodged into the wolfman's gut.

"Jeez, we're hardly here for three seconds and already someone's tried to kill us." Riley stated, "This is a WHOLE new level of weird…"

Joey pulled out a stopwatch, which he clicked. He started slightly. "Hey, it IS a new record." Joey said.

"You keep a RECORD of how quickly someone tries to kill you?" Riley asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I do." Joey answered, "With MY kinda personality…"

"Who are you, anyway?" Maya asked the young man, who had a Spanish look to him.

"I am Prince Caspian." Replied the person with a clear accent.

Nikkabrik

A dwarf originally aligned with Caspian, but he went sour inside from years of suffering and hating. He lost hope that Aslan would help them and turned to the White Witch for assistance. THIS resulted in his death. He first appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

Hag

A vile creature of black magic who tried to help Nikkabrik and a werewolf resurrect the White Witch. They are naturals in the field of witchcraft and resurrection. She appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

Werewolf

A vile combination of wolf and man who tried to help Nikkabrik and a hag resurrect the White Witch. He claims that he is the incarnation of hunger. He appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

Trufflehunter the Badger

One of the Talking Beasts of Narnia. He was the first to believe that good could come from Caspian because, like all other Talking Beasts, he remembered that the land of Narnia was never right unless it was ruled by a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve. He first appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.

Prince Caspian

Originally Miraz's successor, but ran away when he found out that Miraz planned to kill him…just like his father. He gathered the remnants of Narnia into an army to take back their rightful land. He narrowly escaped being forced to revive the White Witch, but it was a good thing Joey and co. got there to help. He first appeared in _The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian_ 2008.


	22. Challenge Accepted

Chapter 22: Challenge Accepted

Joey was sitting in a slump, still ashamed by what he nearly did. Maya took notice and sat down next to him.

"What's up?" she asked.

"It's just…I considered the witch's deal." Joey sighed, "If it wasn't for Riley, I probably would've accepted."

Maya gave Joey a weird look. "This is kinda out of character for ya, Joe." Maya stated.

"What I was THINKING about doing was out of character." Joey replied.

"But you hesitated." Maya pointed out, "You considered it, but you stopped because you knew it was wrong."

"I still considered it." Joey said, pulling the Treasure Seeker Keychain off of his Keyblade and replacing it with Chain Thrasher, "Here. Besides, Chain Thrasher's more of my thing."

Joey tossed Maya the Keychain to the Treasure Seeker. "Joey…" she said, looking at the Keychain.

"Ah, I've never been much of a leader." Joey shrugged, "I'm more of a strategist. From now on, you're in charge. It was more of your thing anyway."

"Thanks." Maya just said, pulling Joey into a hug, then she pulled away from him. "Those monsters didn't know who could save them…but I think I do."

At that moment, Riley entered the ruin. "Is this a private party or can anyone join?" he asked.

"Ah, we were just finishing anyway." Joey replied, "And as of today, Maya's our leader."

Riley's jaw dropped, then he planted his face into his palm. "Great…just great…" he muttered as he pulled his hand down. "So, do you have plan with this change of leadership?" Riley asked, walking in.

"I dunno." Joey said, some of his old vigor returning, "How about you ask Maya?"

The two looked at Maya as she placed the Treasure Seeker into her Keyblade. She then looked up, then said, in a somewhat smart-alecky tone, "Yes. I think I do…"

"Beards and bedsteads!" Trumpkin cursed, "You're just letting a girl ride off into the woods?!"

"Well, this girl happens to be one of the best Keybladers in the order." Joey said, "She'll be fine."

Maya's plan was simple—ride out into the forest and try and find Aslan. However, another problem soon presented itself…

"What if this Moo Raz guy attacks and he doesn't show up?" Riley asked.

"Miraz, Riley." Joey corrected.

"I know." Caspian stated, "Miraz may be king, but he is still subject to the people. And there is one custom that might help us—single combat."

A Telmarine sentry saw three people approaching—namely Riley, a centaur named Glemstom, and a giant named Wimbleweather.

"And so, the Key-wielder named Joseph shall face the so-called King Miraz in a duel to the death. One-on-one." Riley read from a scroll and was thinking, _Who knew JOEY could be formal?_

King Miraz, on the other hand, laughed, then said, "I decline."

Riley was initially surprised, but shook it off immediately.

"Sorry, but the guys forced me into not taking 'no' for an answer." Riley explained, "PLUS, this is a chance to prove your bravery."

"My bravery is not in question, sir." Miraz stated.

"Oh, so you're BRAVELY refusing to clash swords with a kid?" Riley asked, KNOWING this would get someone's attention, "Heh. Sounds like a winner…"

"I think that King Miraz would have PERFECT grounds to decline." One of Miraz's underlings, named Lord Gliselle, said, silkily.

"Yeah, you do, King Chicken…I mean Miraz." Riley agreed, barely catching himself.

"SCORE!" Joey said as Riley gave his report.

"Amazing what you can get a guy to do if you insult his courage." Riley stated, smugly.

"And it's time I got going." Maya said, standing up and walking over to a horse.

"Try and come back alive." Joey said with his usual grin on his face, "Sakuzy would KILL me if you died."

"I'll come back in one piece, Joey." Maya replied, kicking the horse to take off.

"Nothin' to do now except prepare for my fight…" Joey stated.

Joey walked out of the cavern as the Telmarine army approached. He made an arrangement with Caspian if the Telmarines tried anything fishy. He approached Miraz, who had an army of Telmarines and Heartless behind him.

"Well, it explains the Heartless." Joey simply said.

Miraz turned to one of his generals and said, "If the fight appears to be going poorly, you know what to do."

The general had a crossbow in hand. He hesitated before replying, "Yes, my lord."

Miraz put on a helmet, which had a golden mask on it. Joey just stepped forward.

"And YOU'RE going in without armor?" Trumpkin asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I've fought wearing armor before." Joey replied, "It's a hindrance at best…"

Joey summoned the Chain Thrasher and met Miraz in the ring. The two began circling each other.

"There is STILL time to surrender." Miraz said from under his protection mask.

"Then feel free." Joey replied, cockily.

"How many more must die for the throne?" Miraz asked.

"Only ONE!" Joey replied, jumping over to Miraz. The fight was on!

Miraz swung his sword down. Joey quickly evaded in midair and shot his Chain Thrasher at the usurper. Miraz blocked with his shield as Joey landed. The chain-Keyblader narrowly had to dodge another slice from Miraz's sword. It nicked off one of his locks and it fell to the ground.

"Holy crud." He said, continuing to dodge the oncoming blows.

Miraz delivered a vertical swipe and would've cleaved Joey in half…if the latter hadn't blocked with his Keyblade. However, Miraz brought his shield down, putting the full force of his weight behind it. Joey moved his head just in time, but his arm was caught with a sickening CRUNCH. He yelled in pain, but activated his Keyblade, shooting its blade into Miraz's face. The mask dented and smacked Miraz, full in the face.

"How about a respite?" Joey asked.

Miraz thought it over, then shrugged. A breather was the thing he needed right now. "Respite." He agreed.

"Five minutes?" Joey asked.

"Three." Miraz spat.

Joey didn't complain, he didn't have time to, then stood up using his Keyblade as a splint by wrapping it around his wrist. Miraz pulled his mask off to show a VERY large shiner and nose flattened. He glowered at the lord with the crossbow, who was named Lord Gliselle.

"I HOPE you don't allow the match to become that close!" he snarled.

With Joey, three of them, Riley, Reepicheep, Caspian, and Trumpkin, were seeing to his wrist.

"It's nothin' serious." Riley said, "Just dislocated."

"If I die, tell Sakuzy and Maya what happened." Joey said, "And tell Maya to tell Mira that I…" Joey's sentence was cut off as Trumpkin popped the arm back into place. Instead of finishing the sentence, he yelped in pain.

"Okay." Riley said, rolling his eyes, "I'll tell her that you said 'AH'."

"Inspire them, Lord Keyblade Master." Reepicheep said, gesturing to the Narnian army with his tiny sword.

Joey turned to the army with a wide smile and held his Keyblade up, confidently. The army cheered as they saw that their fighter was ready to continue.

Maya rode on her horse through the dense forest, searching for any sign of Aslan. So far…no luck: just trees, brush, and peat.

It was too soon when she heard the twanging of bows and arrows whistling through the air. Right behind her were a few Telmarines following her on horseback.

"Can't these guys give up?" she asked as she summoned her Two-Winged Angel Keyblade. She brought it in a sweep, causing two of the soldiers to get blown away by a powerful gust of wind, but they soon got back up and more joined in.

By this time, Maya realized that she had to find Aslan soon or die trying.

She wasn't really hoping for the latter.

The three minutes of timeout were up. Joey walked to the arena and pulled his Keyblade out.

"Careful out there, Joey." Riley said.

"Hey, it's me you're talkin' about." Joey replied with his usual cocky grin on his face.

One of Miraz's lords offered the usurper his helmet, but Miraz shoved it aside. Apparently, he wanted to be the last thing his opponent saw.

Joey, on the other hand, smiled a gently-humorous smile. Lack of armor made the head an all-too-easy target.

"Let's get it started…" Joey grinned.

Miraz delivered a fast slice, but Joey quickly jumped aside.

"There he goes again." Riley said, "He's trying to trump Miraz and he's dancing while he does it…"

Miraz chopped down and Joey blocked with his Keyblade. He activated it and allowed the chain to slowly come out. He wrapped it around the sword and, with a violent jerk, tore it from Miraz's grip. Miraz quickly made use of his shield, trying to use it as a weapon for smashing. If any of the hits got Joey, it would've broken his neck.

But not one of the bone-shattering attacks hit. Joey was simply too agile.

Miraz picked up his sword and slashed at Joey. Joey jumped back…half a second too late. The steel blade raked Joey's chest, shedding blood. The wound was shallow, but enough to keep Joey wary of his opponent.

Joey ducked under another swing and shot his Chain Thrasher and used it to trip Miraz. He jumped over to stab the usurper, but Miraz reached out, grabbed his fallen weapon, and thrust out his sword. Joey saw it so barely that he had to quickly maneuver out of his intended path to avoid being skewered and, even then, the blade managed to make a small tear in his shirt.

"Oy vey…" he said.

Miraz stood up and clashed blades with Joey. Joey swung it out and delivered a stab only for it to get blocked. Miraz parried and swung. Joey barely ducked. He activated his Chain Thrasher, causing its chain to spin around him and kicked the blade to Miraz, knocking the sword out. He quickly retracted his Keyblade and proceeded to stab Miraz. It went clean through the armor and pierced Miraz's flesh.

The attack wasn't a kill shot, but it was enough to cause the usurper to fall to his knees. Joey retracted his sword, took a complex spin, then pointed it at Miraz's throat.

He had won.

"RUN 'IM THROUGH, JOEY!" Riley shouted.

Joey was frozen in place. One motion could kill Miraz, but he couldn't control his arms.

"Too cowardly to take a life?" Miraz asked, mockingly.

Joey snarled before saying, "It's not MY life to take."

Joey picked up Miraz's sword and held it out to Caspian, who walked forth. Caspian took the sword and held it, ready to carve Miraz in two.

"Perhaps I was mistaken." Miraz said, "Perhaps you DO have the makings of a Telmarine king…"

Caspian let loose a feral yell and brought his blade down…mere inches from Miraz.

"Not a king like YOU." Caspian hissed, "You keep your life, but I will give the Narnians back their respective land!"

Caspian turned away, but failed to notice his opponent. Miraz's face was contorted with rage…an attribute of the Heartless.

Things were about to get ugly.


	23. Goxryu

Chapter 23: Goxryu

Caspian approached the group and was met with everyone from Reepicheep to Trumpkin. "We won." Joey simply said.

"Not quite…" growled a mechanical voice with a thick, European accent. It was an odd voice that Joey had never heard before: oddly expressive, yet mechanical.

All started in surprise as a hooded figure appeared in a burst of darkness. It slouched over slightly and, whenever it took a step, there was a dull thud, like it was wearing armor. He gestured to Miraz, who slowly rose to his feet.

"What the…?!" Joey swore.

Darkness was pouring out like blood from Miraz. But THAT wasn't the worst part—the worst part was that Miraz's eyes turned yellow like a…

"You see, greed and jealousy turned the usurping king of Narnia into a Heartless." The figure said, "Just like that lion in Pride Lands, am I right?"

Miraz stood up, grabbed his sword and lifted it high with a war cry as close to anger as one could get. A massive army of Heartless appeared and, without having been told, charged. The Narnian army was quick to respond, as were the Telmarines, for they also had to protect themselves from these black creatures.

"Who the heck are you?" Joey asked, summoning his Keyblade.

The figure turned, then reached for his hood. Joey got a good look at its hand—it was metallic, looked like a skeleton's hand, and had six fingers: four digits and two thumbs on opposite ends. When the hood was removed, the figure had a face that looked like a skull-like helmet with eerie-green eyes peering through the skull-like face. These eyes were surrounded by brick-red skin, and the helmet's lower part had what appeared to be sharp teeth.

"I am Goxryu." The figure said, standing upright to its full height of over seven feet, "Number Seven of the Seekers, otherwise known as the Mechanical Monster!"

"What's with that 'monster' bit?" Joey asked, "Your appearance or your monster breath?"

Goxryu roared before extending his abnormally broad arm. This arm seemed to split down the forearm's center and only stopped at the elbow joint. Several parts moved in the arm, and in an instant, a gun of sorts replaced Goxryu's left hand.

Joey jumped away from Goxryu just as he had fired. Rather than bullets, Goxryu's gun hand had fired what appeared to be ninja stars, lodging themselves deep into the ground that Joey once stood on.

When Goxryu realized that his shuriken gun didn't work, he growled, then returned his gun to its hand form. He simply activated another mechanism of his left hand and a panel opened in the forearm before igniting a blade of plasma the color of fire.

"Oh boy…" Joey said in disbelief, then got his Chain Thrasher at the ready.

Maya had shaken a good number of the guards, but two still remained. She was out of magic. She cursed her own stupidity for not having that good of an aim.

The horses rode deeper and deeper into the forest, pursuing the young Keyblader. Maya swung her Keyblade to try and catch one of her pursuers, but her blow was blocked by a sword.

When all hope seemed lost for her, a streak of gold burst from the forest to wrestle a soldier off his horse. The second guard was so frightened of this beast that he galloped off in the opposite direction. Maya dismounted the horse, nervously. If she was right…

The soldier that was caught immediately took off running. The lion didn't kill him. She looked over to the big cat to find that it was MUCH bigger than any other lion—he was the size of a carthorse.

"A-Aslan?" Maya asked, shakily. The lion that saved her looked over to her, then it actually smiled. No dumb lion could do THAT in Maya's book. Her face broke into a large smile as she shouted, "ASLAN!"

Maya, feeling as though she was ten years old again, crossed the distance between her and Aslan and immediately hugged the lion's neck. Aslan lowered himself to the ground and let Maya nuzzle her face in his mane, all the while Aslan could only chuckle.

"Why didn't you show yourself earlier?" Maya asked.

"Things never happen the same way twice." Aslan explained, "Now, we have a job to do."

"Thank you, Aslan." Maya said, "But…I wish I could be a bit braver."

"If you were any braver, you would be a lioness." Aslan replied with a comforting chuckle, "We have to go now, and I think the trees have slept long enough."

Aslan looked to the forest, then let loose a deafening roar. The trees, on hearing that sound

Goxryu's blade of plasma collided with Joey's Keyblade. The force behind the blow caused Joey's knee to buckle instantly. This guy was STRONG, and no matter how hard, Joey pushed against this monster, but this guy wasn't budging an inch.

He barely had time to move out of the way as Goxryu's other arm shifted into a rotary blade that looked like a smaller version of the ones often seen on helicopters.

Joey spun himself out just as the rotary blade tore through the ground, then took a swing at the middle of Goxryu's body. The blade tore through Goxryu's robe, but when it would have struck someone's middle, it only hit metal.

Goxryu turned, then smacked Joey away with the back of his six-fingered, metal hand. He wheeled around, then disposed of his robe completely to show that his whole body was thinner than expected. He had a black midsection, silver chest and hip joints, shoulder armor, and feet…they were horrid. The feet of Goxryu had four talons on it: sharp, curved, and made to grab and crush like the feet of a bird of prey.

Joey quickly fired an Ice Spell only to see Goxryu flip clean over it, catch himself on his hands, then lean back in a kind of crabwalk. Goxryu scuttled forward like a crab, still bent clean over, then seized Joey by the foot and tossed him as he flipped back onto his hand. As Joey went flying, Goxryu flipped back to his feet, then turned his left hand into a kind of blaster. A burst of blue energy shot out of the barrel and flew to hit a ground of Miraz's Heartless.

Feeling fired upon, Miraz raised his sword, then ordered, "CHARGE!"

The Heartless charged into battle like a horde of black locusts. And like always, the Narnians prepared themselves for battle.

"FOR NARNIA AND FOR ASLAN!" Caspian shouted as the Narnians charged to fight the Heartless.

Joey slid under Goxryu and brought his foot up to smack the Nobody in the leg…BIG mistake. The metallic skeleton was too hard for his foot to make any real form of damage to Goxryu. Joey, on the other hand, suffered and immense pain in his foot.

"In retrospect, I should've seen that coming…" Joey groaned as he clutched his foot. He quickly rolled back to his feet before the four-taloned foot.

Joey drew his Keyblade just as Goxryu began to use his Rotary Blade again. Joey fired his Keyblade into the moving blades. The chain was immediately pulled in and jammed the mechanism with a series of sputters and metallic groans.

"Looks like your junior helicopter blade's outta the picture!" Joey said, yanking his Keyblade. The rotary blade tore free and Joey swung it around, raking Goxryu's chest and making an ear-splitting screeching noise. Goxryu grunted in surprise, then grabbed the blade and pulled, dragging Joey with it.

Wielding the Chain Thrasher for many years taught Joey to keep a death-grip on it. THIS proved both a blessing and a curse. It allowed the Chain Thrasher to be fired and used as a grappling hook without worrying about it getting pulled from his grip, but it made it easy to simply grab the chain and thrash Joey around like a rag-doll.

"OH, CRUD!" Joey shouted as Goxryu let go, sending the chain-wielding Keyblader into the air.

Joey was up in the air, panicking. However, his fear was quickly sated and he began to strategize again. He came up with a plan that he KNEW would hurt him, but would hurt Goxryu FAR more. He retracted his Chain Thrasher and began to plummet. One of Goxryu's arms shifted into a gun and was obviously intending to shoot Joey down like a game bird. However, Joey was one step ahead of him.

"PROTEGA!" he shouted. A shield surrounded him and the bullets bounced, harmlessly, off. He then pointed his Chain Thrasher at Goxryu's head.

Goxryu realized what Joey was doing—instead of shooting his blade, he'd let gravity bring himself down with enough force to cleave him in half. He quickly darted away and Joey was left to plummet to the ground.

"Alright, change plan…" Joey mumbled as he pressed the button and grabbed his Keyblade's blade. He then brought the blade down in midair. The combined force of gravity and his swing caused the blade to come crashing down on Goxryu, shattering the armor around his collar like glass.

Goxryu roared in pain, then fell to one knee and clutched his chest. The armor had pierced his body and nicked part of his lung. He coughed violently, then looked up at the one person he hated more than anything.

"You WILL pay for this, you little brat!" Goxryu snarled, clutching his shattered shoulder and vanishing in darkness.

"Wow." Joey simply said, "That was a little anticlimactic."

Meanwhile, the Heartless and Telmarines were fighting the Narnians with everything they had. But at the rate the battle was turning in the bad guys' favor: the Telmarines and Heartless greatly outnumbered the Narnians and Keybladers.

However, just when things looked their bleakest…the trees suddenly began to move. The trees looked very angry at these people as their roots tunneled through the ground, attacking both Telmarine soldier and Heartless alike. A Telmarine catapult smashed down one, but in rage, the other trees used their roots to crush the device like plastic.

The great plants then began to WALK towards the enemy troops. Yes, WALK…well, more like waded, but you get what I mean.

While the trees took care of most of the army, Caspian sprung out of nowhere to attack Heartless Miraz. The Heartless Usurper blocked Caspian's sword with his own. The two clashed swords time and time again. Caspian parried and thrust only for Miraz to dodge. Miraz brought HIS sword down and struck Caspian's arm.

Caspian's mail took the brunt of the blow, but he still felt like someone karate-chopped his arm. Caspian jabbed with his sword. Miraz blocked, but Caspian suddenly countered, causing Miraz's sword to fly out. Caspian then slashed with his blade and sliced Miraz's chest open. Darkness leaked from Miraz's chest as his heart floated out. He screamed as the darkness left his body, leaving a corpse that fell to the ground.

The Heartless and Telmarines tried to fight back, but it became obvious that the trees were giving these guys the edge. In an attempt to get better footing, they tried to retreat to the river. They either waded across it or went across the bridge that went across it. However, their attempts were soon halted. Barring their way was…Maya.

Maya was standing there, observing them as if they were people so casually you'd think that she was always watching. She calmly summoned his Keyblade. The army took this scene in and continued on their way. What threat could a silver-haired girl be to them, anyway?

However, their question was answered when a HUGE lion suddenly appeared behind Maya and stepped forward. The Heartless froze in their tracks out of sheer terror, but hadn't even turned around to run away when Aslan took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful roar.

The Heartless shrieked in fear and vanished in puffs of smoke faster than a gunshot. The Telmarines looked terrified as the Narnian army appeared on the opposite shore from the lion.

They were beaten, and they were beaten bad…

"Well, THIS was easy." Riley said, smugly.

"No need to say THAT twice." Joey grinned.

Aslan then looked over to Joey, Riley, Maya, and Caspian. Three of then bowed, but Maya had to pull Riley down.

"You may stand, brave warriors." Aslan said. Joey, Maya, and Riley stood, but Caspian remained in a kneeling position, "And you, young king."

Caspian didn't know how to react, save one. "I…do not think I'm ready."

"That is precisely why you are ready to be king." Aslan said with a warm chuckle, "If you thought you were ready, it would have been a sign that you weren't."

"Good goin', Caspian." Joey said, clapping Caspian on the shoulder.

Suddenly, there came a sound that sounded like a tiny bagpipe. Out came Reepicheep's small band of mice, carrying their leader on a tiny stretcher. Reepicheep looked…horrible. He was basically an unrecognizable mass of fur, had a crushed paw, had his tail cut off, and who knows how many other injuries.

"Maya." Aslan simply said, "I think you know what to do."

"Right…" Maya replied, holding her Keyblade out, "HEAL!"

Green light surrounded Reepicheep and the mouse's breathing steadied. He sat up and took notice of Aslan before kneeling.

"Aslan! It is my pleasure to…" Reepicheep suddenly stumbled forward. His lack of balance was explained by the fact that his tail had been cut off, "My tail! My apologies, Aslan!" The mouse turned to Maya, then asked, "Perhaps another Heal spell?"

"I…don't think it works like that." Maya said, uneasily.

"It well becomes you, noble mouse." Aslan said, chuckling slightly.

"Highest of all High Kings, a tail is the pride and glory of a mouse." Reepicheep explained, "It's…also useful for balance and for climbing and grabbing things…"

"Perhaps you think too highly of your own honor." Aslan suggested.

The other mice suddenly grabbed their tails and drew their swords before positioning the swords at their limb. "Our pardon, your majesty." A mouse said, "But we will NOT bear the shame of wearing an honor denied to our chief."

"You have bested me." Aslan simply said, "Not for your own honor, but for the love for your people."

Immediately, something began creeping up Reepicheep's back. He glanced around and immediately saw that it was his tail. It had grown back!

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ASLAN!" Reepicheep exclaimed, "From this day forward, it shall serve as a symbol of my…" Reepicheep realized what he was getting at, then changed things to a…humbler tone. "Great humility."

Everyone laughed at Reepicheep's. However, the Treasure Seeker in Maya's hand suddenly began glowing and pointed at something at Caspian's side—namely, the horn of a former ruler of Narnia: Queen Susan. A golden light shot out, then retracted to drag out another piece of the map.

"One map piece down." Joey grinned as he took it in his hand.

"And it is time for you to go now." Aslan simply said, "Narnia will always remember assistance given by the wielders of the Keyblade. You need not worry about Heartless. Because of my arrival, they are banished for a good many years."

"We'll see you guys, then." Joey said.

"Wait!" Reepicheep shouted, "There's…something I wish to give lady Maya."

"What?" Maya asked, bending down on one knee. Reepicheep pulled out a crystal and handed it to her.

"If you need a warrior who's true of heart and pure in spirit…" Reepicheep said, proudly, "Just call and I shall be there!"

"Thanks, Reepicheep." Maya said before patting Reepicheep on the head.

"Um, I hate to ask, lady Maya but…could you scratch me behind the ear?" Reepicheep asked, a blush under his fur.

The Gummi Ship was soon over the three and they got beamed up into it. But a few minutes later, a member spoke. "Can we go back?" Riley asked as he sat down at the driver's seat.

"Why?" Maya asked.

"I…left my laptop back there." Riley replied.

Back in Narnia, we get a good look at the wagon the group was hiding behind earlier. Joey had carved THIS into it…

"You were right to fear the woods."

In another world, two mechanical arms were repairing Goxryu. The mechanical Nobody growled and brought his hand smashing down into a table, denting it like someone bashed it with a club.

"That annoying Keywielder WILL pay!" Goxryu growled, balling his mechanical hand into a fist so tight that his electro-drivers began to groan in protest. "The next time I see him, I will…" Goxryu's death threat was cut off when he broke into a fit of coughing.

"First of all, you're gonna have to not do that." The Nobody said to Goxryu as he worked, "Secondly, you still have to admit he was clever…" the Nobody who was working on Goxryu said, "Able to put the force of his fall into a single swing."

"I can put just as much force into my fist." Goxryu growled, taking a metal support beam and crumpling it like paper.

"XIJM!" Kurix ordered as he appeared in darkness, "You should be at that water-based world. Why are you still here?"

"Because I'm the only one with enough intelligence to repair Goxryu." Replied Xijm, irritably, as he continued his work.

"Goxryu can wait as long as he's in good condition." Kurix replied, coldly.

"He's got a punctured lung and shattered parts." Xijm stated, "You call THAT…"

"Go to Port Royal or you'll cease to exist!" Kurix growled.

Xijm growled before vanishing. Getting Kurix mad was NOT a smart move. And if he had to choose between getting Goxryu mad and Kurix mad, he'd take Goxryu's wrath any day.

Goxryu

Number eight of the Seekers, otherwise known as the Mechanical Monster. His parts have more mercy than what is left of his living body. Apparently, he was caught in a horrible accident, but was saved by Kurix. He can split his two arms into four, each one with a two different weapons. Goxryu is war-hungry, merciless, and quick to carry a grudge. NOW, he obviously hates Joey.

_The same voice-acting drill for Goxryu. My ideal voice for him is Matthew Wood (Grievous on Clone Wars). If you have any better ideas, please tell me._


	24. Aboard the Black Pearl

Chapter 24: Aboard the Black Pearl

Port Royal…

Scott, April, and J sat on the bow of the mighty Black Pearl. They immediately looked for Jack Sparrow, but soon found out that he had been killed by the Kraken about a year ago.

"I don't like this." J simply said, "Not ONE bit."

"C'mon, mate." Scott said, "What've you got against these blokes…besides the obvious, I mean."

"Mostly those Orients." J replied, jerking his head to a group of people who were hired in Singapore, "They've got a shifty look to them."

"Seriously, J." April said, "What's up?"

There was an awkward silence before J simply said…

"Ninjas are cooler."

"What was that, Mr. J?" asked a very pirate-esque voice. Strangely enough, Hector Barbossa walked down, "Did ye say that we are in any way inferior to Japanese mercenaries?"

"Does it matter?" J simply asked.

Barbossa scowled, then walked off. Scott originally wondered how he was here, seeing as the Aussie read Jiminy's journal and it said that the mutiny-forming captain had died at Jack's hand (and Sora's). This was soon explained that the shaman woman, Tia Dalma, had brought him back in order to retrieve the late Jack Sparrow.

NOW, the group was in utter misery, seeing as they were in the middle of the arctic. Every pirate was covered in snow and ice, Mr. Cotton's parrot mimicked the shivering (though it was quite believable that it could've been ACTUALLY doing it). And a Chinese guy appeared to have gotten frostbite, yet as he tried to warm up his toe…it snapped off.

"Nobody said anything about cold!" one of the pirates, named Pintel, growled.

"I'm sure there's a good reason for our suffering…" Pintel's friend, Ragetti, replied.

Scott was shivering, but soon grew a shaggy coat of fur and sighed with relief. J simply sat and took the cold: he had obviously faced the cold before. Scott then hugged April. Not out of affection, strangely enough, but because April was cold since all she had was her tanktop and jeans. She was NOT fit for freezing temperatures.

"Th-thanks." She shivered.

"No problem, Sheila." Scott replied.

"What I don't get is how that witch couldn't bring Jack back the same way she brought back Barbossa!" Pintel growled.

A woman with dark skin (and even darker teeth) walked over. When she spoke, it was in a very thick Caribbean accent. SHE was Tia Dalma, Jack Sparrow's old swamp witch "friend".

"Because Barbossa was ONLY dead." She hissed, venomously, "Jack Sparrow is gone, body and soul! Dragged to another place! Not of death, but punishment! To spend an eternity in solitude and torment. THAT is what awaits at Davy Jones' Locker!"

Tia Dalma walked away and all Ragetti had to say was…

"I knew there was a good reason."

J walked up to see Barbossa, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann looking over a strange chart. It was given to them by the Pirate Lord of Singapore, Sao Feng. J still wondered how it worked…

"Green flash at sunrise." Will Turner said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" J asked.

Barbossa looked over to another member of the crew, Mr. Gibbs.

"Ever set eyes on the Green Sunrise, Mr. Gibbs?" Barbossa asked.

Gibbs immediately replied, "I've seen my fair share. Some people have gone through their lives without seein' one, some claim to have seen it and ain't…"

"It means that someone has come back to OUR world from the dead!" Pintel finished. Gibbs glared at the pirate, who immediately said, "Sorry."

Elsewhere, a man with a powdered wig pulled out a spyglass and looked through it. He saw the Flying Dutchman sailing away from the burning remains of another ship. No survivors.

"There's nothing left." The man, Lord Cutler Beckett, said.

"Jones is a loose cannon, sir." One of Beckett's crew said.

"Fetch the chest." Beckett ordered.

"And the governor, sir?" the crewman asked, "He's been asking questions about the heart."

"How much does he know?" Beckett simply asked.

Later, Beckett's crew was sailing towards the Flying Dutchman. When the boarded, a group of sea creature-esque pirates came out. One looked less like a sea creature. Most likely a new recruit.

Suddenly, the captain of this ghostly vessel burst out. Davy Jones glowered as some of Beckett's crew heaved a chest onboard.

"Begone! ALL OF YOU! AND TAKE THAT INFERNAL THING WITH YOU!" Davy Jones barked, "I WILL NOT HAVE IT ABOARD MY SHIP!"

"That's a shame." Beckett said, walking in, "Because I would." Beckett stepped in front of Davy Jones, obviously not intimidated, "We need prisoners to interrogate, which tends to work best when they are alive."

"The Dutchman sails as its captain commands!" Davy Jones hissed.

"And its captain shall sail as COMMANDED." Beckett snapped, "You must act in Maleficent's best interest. I thought you learned that when I ordered you to kill your pet."

Beckett snapped his fingers. In bursts of darkness, several Heartless appeared and he held the chest above them. "The Heartless enjoy a heart as bitter as yours…and let's say that I chose not to deny it to them…"

Beckett pulled the chest upward sharply as the Heartless snatched at the chest, eager to get whatever was inside. But no matter how high they jumped, they couldn't reach the delicious-smelling morsel inside…

Jones grunted, then bent to Beckett's offer. He had no choice…for now, anyway…

The ship sailed into an iceberg of sorts and somehow, it looked FAR different: it was far warmer in the cave than outside. Scott, on noticing the temperature, shed his fur and left a thin carpet on the deck.

The said Aussie walked over to where Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann were.

"We haven't talked much." Will said to Elizabeth.

"Once Jack's back, everything will be alright again." Elizabeth replied, staring into the dark waters.

Someone walked up and addressed Scott AND Will. It was Tia Dalma again.

"For all the things we want, there is a price that must be paid in the end." she said before walking off.

"Crikey, that was a bit unneeded." Scott said, scratching the back of his head.

J was dozing, slightly. However, he woke up and noticed something was amiss. He jumped down and shouted…

"WE'RE OFF COURSE!" J jumped down to the deck and soon found himself facing Barbossa. "You DO know we're off course, right?" J asked.

"Aye, we're good and lost now." Barbossa replied, almost a bit TOO calm for J's taste.

"Good and lost." J muttered, "Two words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence."

"PLEASE tell me this a new use of the word 'lost' I haven't 'eard of yet…" Scott said, though he knew it was a false hope.

"Ye see, we HAVE to be lost so we shan't know where it is." Barbossa explained, "Otherwise, EVERYONE would know where it is!"

April's eyes trailed the dark waters until she saw what was…Just. In. Front. Of. Them.

"Oh my gosh…" April said, wide-eyed, as she saw where the ship was going—straight towards a HUGE waterfall. She turned and shouted, "CAPTAIN! WATERFALL AHEAD!"

Every pirate onboard started, then looked over the ship's edge, looks of horror on their faces. Yet, Barbossa only pressed forward.

"You're CRAZY!" J barked.

"Am I, Mr. J?" Barbossa asked, "Well, maybe we're ALL a little crazy…I know I am." The ship was halfway off the waterfall by this time, and all the crew had time for was to brace for it.

"Oh, CRIKEY!" Scott shouted as the ship fell over the raging rapids. He clenched his eyes shut and changed his anatomy…just in case he survived.

Barbossa

The man who marooned Jack Sparrow on an island and made himself captain of the Black Pearl. He was killed by the combined efforts of Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow, Sora, Donald, and Goofy. However, he was brought back from the dead by Tia Dalma in order to fetch the deceased Jack Sparrow. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, _2003.

Will Turner

A blacksmith who's smitten with Elizabeth. He's had to team up with Jack twice to save her. Jack gave him and Sakuzy to Davy Jones in order to save his own soul. Will quickly fought Jack for the chest that held Davy Jones' heart…along with Norrington, Sakuzy, and the then-Crystalli Depth. He seems to be a person who will betray if it helps him reach his goal—save his father from the vile clutches of Davy Jones. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, _2003.

Elizabeth Swann

Will's love interest. She was the person who found Will while he was drifting at sea. She was to be wed to Will, but they were cut short by Cutler Beckett, wishing to arrest them for allowing Jack to escape. She joined Jack's crew by escaping and stowing away to Tortuga. She figured out that Davy Jones' pet, the Kraken, was after Jack and would kill anyone in its path. She then chained Jack to the Pearl, making sure that he was killed. She felt guilty about it and joined Barbossa's crew to retrieve the deceased pirate. She first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,_ 2003.

Lord Cutler Beckett

The Lord of Port Royal. He wishes to destroy all pirates and will do all that is necessary to do so, whether it's using Davy Jones' heart to bribe the captain into doing his work or aligning himself with Maleficent and using the Heartless. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, _2006.

Davy Jones

The Captain of the Flying Dutchman. He's a monster who aligned himself with Maleficent a year ago, but now works of Beckett. He used to be a man, but cut out his heart when he was turned down by the love of his life. NOW, he tricks men who are near death into serving under his sail. He's been charged by Beckett to capture any pirate he finds, but kills them all instead. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, _2006.

Pintel

One of the pirates who took place in Barbossa's mutiny. He was cursed by the Aztec treasure, but now he's a regular pirate. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, _2003.

Ragetti

One of the pirates who took place in Barbossa's mutiny. He was cursed by the Aztec treasure, but now he's a regular pirate…who has a wooden eye. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, _2003.

Mr. Gibbs

A member of Jack Sparrow's crew and ex-Navy soldier. He was the first member of Jack's new crew who set out to regain the Black Pearl. He's sea-smart, loyal to the captain, and always sticks to the Pirate's Code. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, _2003.

Tia Dalma

A strange mystic from Mangrove swamps. She said that Will had a 'touch of destiny' about him. She and Jack appear to be "friends", though Jack seems afraid of her. She first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, _2006.


	25. Davy Jones' Locker

Chapter 25: Davy Jones' Locker

_Raise the colors, you filthy cockroaches (cockroaches)_

_Dead men tell no tales…_

_(Dead men tell no tales…)_

Sniff…

Sniff-sniff…

The fragrance of supplement reached the nostrils of an all-too-familiar pirate: a small piece of food…no more than half a peanut.

The nostrils this peanut had ensnared belonged to none other than the infamous Jack Sparrow. Still, it was nourishment and it counted. The captain of the Black Pearl fastened a napkin around his neck and impaled the nut on a fork.

No one was here. It was all HIS. He could eat it and no one would care. The tasty morsel almost reached his mouth when there was an all-too-abrupt gunshot. Jack's eyes widened as his mouth gaped at the sudden death-dealing injury. His tongue rolled out, still covered in saliva and ALMOST touched the nut and sent the flavor to his failing nervous system.

Jack fell backwards…he didn't even TASTE the peanut: dead. The smoking barrel of this flintlock belonged to…Jack Sparrow? Jack blew the smoke off his pistol, then waltzed over to his copy's corpse and plucked the peanut free of the fork.

"My peanut." Jack said, taking the peanut and crunching it. He then turned "Mr. Sparrow! Slacken the braces!"

"AYE CAPTAIN!" shouted, strangely enough, another Jack (this one without coat, hat, or even a shirt), who hung from the mast, "SLACKEN BRACES!"

An entire crew of Jacks began hustling and bustling to do…whatever it was they were trying to do. Some untied the sails while others swabbed the deck and cleaned out the cannons.

The Jack that got shot still lay on his back, staring at the sky. "Help…" the shot Jack moaned.

One Jack stood still all the while emitting a small moaning noise…then burst out clucking and strutting like a chicken. When THAT Jack moved, ANOTHER one behind Chicken Jack picked up an egg, seemingly from nowhere, too.

Another Jack was sitting close to a goat, slowly inching closer as if trying to…uh…hehe…well, you know. THIS earned him a strange look from the goat he was trying to get comfy with.

One Jack had unusually large pupils, walked on his tiptoes, staggered around aimlessly, and sang some song that had no particular tune. And he looked very happy, too… (1)

"Mr. Sparrow!" the Jack with a jacket and hat shouted to another shirtless Jack.

"Aye, Captain Sparrow?" the other Jack asked. This Jack had been doing work on the cannons…and seemed to be doing a bad job, too.

"What do ye call this?" Jack asked, holding out a rope with a knot tied into it.

"I call it a rope, sir." Jack replied.

"Oh, bein' a smart aleck are we?" Jack asked, "This is, obvious to anyone, a poorly-done knot. IT IS APPREHENSIVE, APPAULING, AND AN ABOMINATION!"

"Sorry, cap'n." Jack said, apologetically, "Could ye give me a second chance?"

"Really?" Jack asked, running his cutlass through his look-alike, "That's the kinda thinkin' that got us into this mess." Jack shoved the corpse down and began cleaning his blade on the rail of the Black Pearl, "We have lost speed and, therefore time! Precious time! Time which cannot be recovered once lost!" Jack then turned around to ship's dock…and he was the only one onboard. Those other Jacks were merely figments of his imagination…yet he didn't seem aware of it.

"For all the work that gets done, I might as well be the only one here!" Jack grabbed a rope, "Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness!"

Jack swung off the Black Pearl and…landed with a hard THUMP on the ground. The whole area was a barren expanse of white sandstone that seemed endless and was abnormally hot. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and most importantly, there were no plants or animals in the area.

After looking around for a second, Jack stuck his finger in his mouth then pulled it out to test for wind. "No wind." Jack stated, seeing as there wasn't even a small breeze, "I just want a BIT of wind! A breeze! A breath!"

Jack heard a noise: a single, small "thunk". He turned around and noticed a rock. JUST a rock, no bigger than an apple and the color of the ground he walked on. The captain of the Black Pearl picked up said rock, inspected it whilst wondering where it could have possibly come from. He licked it, made a face at how terrible it tasted (or how stupid the idea was), and then threw it away, hoping for something to happen.

Nothing did. The rock just skidded across the barren expanse until it clattered to a halt.

Jack, disappointed at the results, walked over to the Pearl for reasons hither-to-unknown, looked over to see…the rock. He could've sworn he threw that thing away, yet here it was in the exact same position he found it in.

Thinking it was alive, Jack made a motion with his hands, as though he was shooing away a dog.

"Shoo." He simply said, picking up the rock and tossing it away, "Now I'm bein' chased by rocks. Never did THAT before…"

Jack noticed a rope on the Black Pearl and tugged it. It came free, but wouldn't stop falling. After a few unneeded minutes, the rope stopped. Jack took hold of the rope, then heaved in an attempt to drag the MUCH larger vessel to some body of water.

Meanwhile, something happened with the rock. It suddenly sprouted legs, eyestalks, pincers, and legs. It had somehow shifted into a rock-like crab. It scuttled over to a small clearing that was filled with even MORE rocks. It began clicking its pincers and making some strange noise.

For a while, there was only silence, sand, stones, and sun. Then the entire sea of rocks sprang to life as rock-crabs. And, unbeknownst to Jack, they began to scuttle towards the ship's underside.

Jack fell over onto his face, looked at the ship to see it had gone nowhere, then huffed. He would probably be better off on foot. However, he soon noticed that the ship was moving, for hither-to-unknown reason, by itself. He noticed a scuttling sea of stone-like crabs, carrying the Black Pearl away like the black-sailed ship was on water.

Jack paused, wondering if he had really seen that…then took immediate pursuit of his vessel. He had to team up with the Keywielder, double-cross untold masses of people, and killed his mutinous first mate, Barbossa, just to get it back.

He had no intent of losing it again.

The crew was washed up onto the shore of some unknown land. Scott burst from the water, gills on his neck and webbed hands and feet. His anatomical features steadily changed back to normal as he noticed April hovering a few meters above them. At the same time, a sea lion with red eyes waded out of the water then shook its head, as though trying to shake something out of its ears.

"G'day, J." Scott said, spitting the salt out of his mouth (2).

The sea lion changed back into the anti-hero, who suddenly shook as much water out of his hair as possible. He looked oddly like a dog that had recently had a bath. His crimson eyes quickly raked the landscape, which was nothing more than white flats.

"This place sucks." J simply said.

"You won't be findin' a worse place than Davy Jones' Locker." Gibbs stated.

"Don't have to tell US twice, mate." Scott muttered, searching for his hat. He found it…half-buried in mud. "AW, STREWTH!"

Tia Dalma made some strange, blowing noise. Immediately, the group saw something on the horizon. It was a mast. Steadily, it showed that it was a ship, being carried off by rock crabs, the silicon-based crustaceans moving like water.

"Okay…freaky." April said as Scott began cleaning his hat.

"Crikey, it'll take days to get this mud out…" Scott muttered as he did his best to clean off his hat.

The ship landed in the water with an almighty SPLASH. It then sailed out of the shallows and into deeper water, but not before someone jumped out.

"Slap me twice and hand me to my mama." Gibbs said out of awe, "It's Jack!"

Jack landed in ankle-deep water and waltzed over to Mr. Gibbs.

"Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed.

"Mr. Gibbs, what is the meaning of this?" Jack asked, irritated for some reason that no one could entirely comprehend, "I hope you have an excuse for the inexcusable behavior on this ship!" He wheeled over to the three superhumans and snapped, "And, as for you three, I have no idea who any of you are, but I'm sure YOU messed up somehow!"

As Jack turned his attention to everyone else, J stared after him. "We met that guy for only a few seconds and I already hate him." J stated.

"Captain?" Gibbs asked, confused by his captain's unusual reasoning, "You're in Davy Jones' Locker, cap'n."

Jack's eyes expanded somewhat and his mouth twitched somewhat. He then smiled then said, "I know that." Jack waltzed over to Tia Dalma and asked, "Tia Dalma, finally out and about, are you?"

"Jack." Tia simply said, smiling to show off her blackened teeth.

Jack then walked over to Barbossa, an unusually cheery look in his eye. "And Hector, its been a while, hasn't it?" Jack asked as if Barbossa were some old friend he hadn't seen in many years…and they probably hadn't.

"Aye, it has." Barbossa replied, smiling, but giving Jack a look that obviously wished the other pirate a slow and horrible death, "Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me."

Jack looked a bit frightened, but smiled in an innocent manner and said, in his most innocent voice (that was obviously false), "No, I didn't."

"He thinks we're a hallucination." Will said out of the corner of his mouth.

"Dear William!" Jack exclaimed, waltzing over to Will. He immediately asked, "Are you here to save some distressing damsel, or damsel in distress? Either one…"

"No." Will simply answered.

"Ha! You wouldn't be here unless you wanted to save a bonny-wee lass! Otherwise, you wouldn't be here! QED, you're not here!" Jack said, quickly. He immediately began laughing.

"Jack, we're not a hallucination." Elizabeth said, walking forward. A look of complete and utter shock appeared on Jack's face, "We're here."

Jack's immediate response was to wheel over to Gibbs and ask, "Davy Jones' Locker?"

"Aye, cap'n." Gibbs replied.

"We need your help, Jack." Elizabeth said.

"Because that bludger, Beckett, is taking over." Scott added.

"The Brethren Court's been called together." J continued.

"The song's been sung." Barbossa said.

"And the world really needs you, now." April finished.

"Hardly gone for a year and already things're falling apart." Jack said, thoughtfully, "But I've got a ship and none of you do. So, it appears that YOU'RE the ones in need of a rescue!"

"I've got a ship." Barbossa said, pointing to the Pearl, "Right there!"

"Where?" Jack asked, trying to see the vessel that Barbossa was referring to, "Must be a tiny thing behind the Black Pearl."

"I think he's talking ABOUT the Pearl." Scott suggested.

Jack wheeled around and immediately began looking over the newcomers. "As for my crew, Gibbs, you can stay." Jack said before approaching J, "Not you. You scare me." J gave Jack the 'evil eye' under his sunglasses. Jack approached Scott, "You look like a nice guy, but you've got a funny hat. So, I'd have to say no."

"Bloke." Scott muttered.

"You, however…" Jack said to April, but Scott suddenly gave him a look that basically said 'watch it, bub', "I'll have to give a pass to." Jack then walked around the other members of the crew, "Not you two. Not Barbossa or Will. Martin stays. Cotton, the parrot's a little iffy, but at least I have someone to talk to. Tia Dalma…"

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time." Tia Dalma stated.

"Fine, you stay." Jack said in a hurried voice that suggested fear. He then came to one of the pirates of Singapore, "You, I've never seen in all me years. Who is he? Who are you?"

"Tai Huang." Replied the man from Singapore, "These are my men."

"Where do your loyalties lie?" Jack asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"With the highest bidder." Tai Huang replied.

Jack's eyes darted around for a second, then he said, "I've got a ship."

"That makes YOU the highest bidder." Tai stated.

"Why should I go with any of YOU?" Jack asked, looking over the group, "In the past four of you tried to KILL me. ONE of you succeeded."

Everyone looked stunned. They thought that Jack had stayed behind to give the others a chance to escape, but…had he ACTUALLY been left to die? April, Scott, and J had no idea whatsoever of what was going on, though…

"Ah, she's not told you, has she?" Jack asked.

"Who didn't tell us what?" Scott asked, "Yer hardly makin' any sense, mate."

"Elizabeth." Jack replied, "She CHAINED me to me own SHIP and prevented me from escaping the horrible death of being devoured by the Kraken!"

All heads turned to Elizabeth, who paused, then hung her head slightly. "Well, you're STILL coming with us." J stated, avoiding the tension.

"And how can you be doing THAT, me dark-clothed friend?" Jack asked.

Mere moments later, J and Scott dragged Jack, who was kicking and screaming for all he was worth, back to the ship. A thought still crossed the Aussie's mind. "Why're we doing this, mate?" Scott asked.

"Because, without this moron, the Brethren Court can't come together, seeing as he didn't give his Piece of Eight to a successor." J replied, "Now, the only OTHER alternative for you, Sparrow, is to STAY in this godforsaken place!"

As J and Scott dragged him away, Jack's eyes widened. He seemed to change his mind in an instant. "Point taken." He said, quickly.

Jack Sparrow

The somewhat maddened captain of the Black Pearl. He was marooned for three days…until he hitched a ride on a rum boat. He commandeered the Interceptor, which got blown to splinters by Luxord. He killed Barbossa and regained the Pearl. A few months later, he was in debt to Davy Jones. He traded Will and Sakuzy (the latter's harbored a deep resentment to Jack ever since.) to the sea-bound captain and tried to steal Jones' heart. About a year later, Jack was killed by the Kraken because Elizabeth chained him to the ship. NOW, he's been in Davy Jones' locker for a while and has gone even MADDER (if that's even possible). He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl_.

_(1) Special thanks to the Simpsons for that: The Springfield Files._

_(2) That's what happens to ME when I go swimming the ocean. I spend half the time spitting out the salt water._


	26. Seas of the Dead

Chapter 26: Seas of the Dead

Night…

"I'm just glad the pest isn't here." J said, referring to Ryan, "He'd be driving us nuts about being a pirate."

"Do you ALWAYS have to be so hard on the little guy?" Scott asked.

"I tried asking him when we met. He wouldn't listen." J replied.

"That's downright macabre!" Pintel's voice said.

The shapeshifter and Aussie looked over the edge to see the ghostly forms of people, floating across the water in small boats. April saw it and she instantly freaked out, but caught herself before she could be TOO freaked.

"I wonder what would happen if you dropped a cannonball on one…" Ragetti said, grinning.

The two grabbed a set of cannonballs, but someone cleared her throat. Both turned to meet Tia Dalma, whose expression indicated that she'd like nothing more than to gut them personally.

"Me best guess is that it'd be disrespectful." Scott warned the two.

"They should be in the care of Davy Jones." Tia Dalma said, "That was the job him was charged with by the goddess, Calypso—to carry them who died at sea to the other side." She looked at the four with a longing expression, "Then, once every ten years, him could come ashore and be with the woman who loved him, truly." Her face then hardened as she said, "But the man has become a monster."

"You mean he wasn't always so…tentacle-y?" Ragetti asked, waggling his fingers to emphasize his point.

"No, him was a man…once." Tia Dalma replied, touching a locket around her neck that resembled a crab/heart.

The next day…

The sun beat down on the group like a boxer who had a bad day. Sweat came out of everyone's pores, filling the ship with the smell of perspiration. J growled as he looked at an empty bottle.

"Out of water." J growled, "Why's everything EXCEPT the rum gone?"

"It gets worse, mate." Scott said, showing an empty bottle, "The rum's gone, too. Jack, Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti really had at it."

Scott tossed the rum bottle into the water, though this didn't do a lot of good. He looked over the rail of the ship and soon, Tia Dalma joined him.

"I dunno how much longer we can last." Scott groaned, "Most of our supplies were used to get 'ere in the first place and we're outta water."

"If we do not escape before sunset, I fear we will be cursed to sail these waters forever." Tia Dalma stated, grimly.

"And, without water, forever seems like a mite too long." Gibbs stated, wiping sweat off his head.

Jack the monkey swiped J's sunglasses and Ragetti's wooden eye and was running around the ship with the shapeshifter and one-eyed pirate in hot pursuit.

"I'M GONNA KILL THAT MONKEY!" J roared.

"But the green flash comes at sunrise, not sunset." Will stated.

"So…how can we kill Davy Jones?" April asked, changing the subject.

"You must find the Dead Man's chest and stab the heathen heart." Barbossa replied.

"Wait, we're here dragging back Jack when we can end this now and stab Jones' heart?" J asked, swiping his sunglasses back from the primate version of Jack.

"It's not that easy." Will replied, quashing J's plan in an instant, "If you stab the heart…your own must take its place."

"THAT and Davy Jones is part of the King's accursed Navy, which has the heart under lock and key." Barbossa added.

"He's got ya beat THERE, mate." Scott grinned.

"Shut up, Scott." J hissed.

Jack was using the chart to find some form of solution to their precarious predicament. He turned it once and soon found the next inscription, which read as follows…

"Up is down." Jack said, frowning "Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful. Why can't these things ever be clear?"

"Clear as mud, huh, Jackie?" A voice asked.

Jack looked to his right to see a miniature version of himself, no bigger than his thumb, standing on his shoulder.

"Stab the heart." The Mini-Jack said.

"DON'T stab the heart!" Another Mini-Jack said, appearing on Jack's other shoulder, "The Dutchman MUST have a captain."

"Well, that's even LESS helpful." Jack stated.

"Forever sail the sea." Mini-Jack 1 said.

"I love the sea." Jack admitted with a simple shrug.

"What about port?" Mini-Jack 2 asked.

"I prefer rum. Rum is GOOD." Jack said as the prospect of alcohol presented itself.

"He means MAKING port." Mini-Jack 1 stated.

"Where we can GET rum and salty wenches once every ten years." Mini-Jack 2 continued.

"What'd he say?" Mini-Jack 1 asked, seeing as he was clearing his excess earwax with his index finger.

"Uh…something about rum, wenches, and ten years." Jack replied, hurriedly.

"Ten years is a LONG time." Mini-Jack 2 stated.

"Even LONGER, given the deficit of rum." Jack said, horrified.

"Eternity's longer still." Mini-Jack 1 said.

"And how will YOU be spending it? Dead?" Mini-Jack 2 asked.

"The IMMORTAL Jack Sparrow." Mini-Jack 1 said, gloriously.

"That sounds good." Jack said, nodding at the title.

"Come sunset, it won't matter." Mini-Jack 2 deadpanned.

"Not sunset…" Jack said, eyes widening, "SunDOWN and rise…UP!" Jack bolted up and shouted, "WHAT'S THAT?!"

Jack ran over to one side of the ship for reasons hither-to unknown. Curious, everyone followed him.

"What's that?" Jack asked himself before saying, "I dunno. What do YOU think?"

"I'd say the pressure's finally gotten to Jack, but WHAT pressure?" Scott stated.

"Oh, now it's moved!" Jack shouted, bolting over to the other side of the ship. Most of the crew (save Ragetti, who was chasing the monkey, and Barbossa) followed the captain.

Barbossa took the wooden eye from Jack the Monkey and spat on it before jamming it into Ragetti's empty socket.

"Hey, I realized what the bloke's doin'." Scott said.

"He's having us rock the ship!" Gibbs said.

Barbossa fiddled with the charts before coming at the 'Up is Down' symbol. "He's got it!" Barbossa exclaimed. He looked over to Pintel, "Untie EVERYTHING in the cargo hold!"

J pulled out a knife and bolted down before Pintel could. He used it to cut the ropes, allowing the barrels to roll and untied the cannons. THIS would shift more weight, making the ship rock easier.

During the running back and forth, Pintel and Ragetti picked up a piece of rope. "We'll tie ourselves upside-down!" Pintel explained.

"So, when the ship flips, we'll be right side-up!" Ragetti said, excitedly.

Back and forth, back and forth ran the crew. Roll and CRASH went the cargo. The ship eventually came to a point that it was almost vertical. One member of the Singapore Pirates lost his grip and landed on the deck below and a cannon fell down. The group looked off so they couldn't see his sorry fate.

Pintel and Ragetti grinned at each other, though they were upside-down.

The rest of the crew grabbed the rail of the ship as the Black Pearl, steadily began to tip over.

"And now UP…" Jack said moments before being submerged, "Is DOWN!"

With one final movement, the Black Pearl completely capsized.

A cascade of bubbles flew up as air leaked from everyone's lungs. Everyone struggled to stay on, because no one knew what would happen if they let go. Everything was pouring out as the ship remained upside-down in the freezing water.

Suddenly, the ship righted itself and they were…back in their old world. A flash of green appeared at sunrise, heralding their arrival.

Looked like someone at the arctic was right…

The ENTIRE crew was sopping wet as they recognized the scenery was the same for their home world. Everyone suddenly pulled out their guns and pointed at each other. J had a pistol, which he pointed at Scott, who had a bony spike pointing at the shapeshifter.

"Why're we doin' this?" Scott asked.

"We're just playing along." J answered.

April suddenly noticed J's pistol. "How long have you had that pistol?" she asked, eyeing it, suspiciously.

J gave the gun a hard look, then looked up at Scott. "You'd sleep better NOT knowing." J replied.

Everyone then began laughing, lowering their guns. Suddenly, they raised their guns again, pointing two at different people.

"Alright, the Brethren Court be gatherin' at Shipwreck Cove and there be NO ARGUIN' at this point!" Barbossa said to Jack in a business-like voice.

"Ah, but I IS arguin' the point." Jack replied.

"Beckett is HUNTING down every single pirate." J growled.

"And he's got the Heartless AND this Jones bloke on 'is side to boot." Scott added.

"And, if it works, what'll you do?" April asked, "Just let Jones and Beckett hunt down every pirate until YOU'RE the only one who's left?"

"Actually, miss, I like the sound of that." Jack said, "Captain Jack Sparrow, the Last Pirate."

"And then you be fighting Davy Jones and Beckett by yerself and how does THAT work into yer plan?" Barbossa asked.

"I'm still working on it." Jack shrugged before pointing his gun at Barbossa, "But I'm not goin' back to the Locker. THAT you can count on…"

CLICK.

Splat.

Instead of a musket ball, a small burst of water came out of Jack's pistol. Everyone with a flintlock pistol tried firing, but got the same result as Jack.

"Wet powder." Gibbs griped.

Scott retracted his bone spike as J shoved his pistol back into his pocket. Pintel and Ragetti, who had gotten untied through some unknown means, were looking disappointed.

"WE CAN STILL USE 'EM AS CLUBS!" Pintel shouted. And Ragetti, jumping immediately to the point, thumped Pintel on the head with his pistol, "OW!"

"Sorry. Effective, though…"

Scott had gone flying with April for a while and came back JUST in time to hear…

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa were obviously arguing over who was officially the captain. Jack owned the Black Pearl, but Barbossa stole it and had it for many years.

"The CAPTAIN gives orders!" Jack barked.

"The captain IS givin' orders!" Barbossa shot back.

"My ship, makes me captain."

"They be MY charts!"

"Then, that makes you…CHARTMAN!"

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" J barked, "THAT'S AN ORDER!" there was an awkward silence as J shrugged and said, "What? I figured with the position of captain being in question, I could submit my name for consideration."

Jack and Barbossa walked off to continue their argument somewhere else. Scott and April landed next to J.

"I'd vote for ya, mate." Scott said, "Only fer lack of a better option."

"Shut up, Highflier." J stated, sulking off.

Will pulled out a slightly waterlogged map and slapped it on the table. He pointed to an island on the map.

"There's a fresh water spring on this island. We can restock our supplies here and get to shooting each other later." Will suggested.

"We'll have to send a party down there." Elizabeth said.

"I'll stay on the ship." Jack said.

"I'LL stay on the ship!" Barbossa said, suspiciously.

"You could BOTH go and leave me in charge of the ship." Will suggested, upon suspicious glances, he added, "Temporarily."

Not long after, a small group was on the island—it was composed of Jack, Barbossa, J, Scott, April, Pintel, Ragetti, old Cotton (who had his tongue cut out and trained a parrot to talk FOR him), Martin (a midget), and Gibbs. Scott's eyes bulged and his mouth fell open as he saw what was on the beach.

"CRIKEY!" the Aussie swore.

On the shore was what was obviously the largest octopus that had ever lived. It was easily the size of a whale, a sickly-green color, and had a gaping maw full of teeth. Its eyes were glazed completely over, but just to make sure, Pintel poked its massive tentacle with a stick.

"It's dead." Pintel reported, "Dead fish."

"Cephalopod." J corrected under his breath.

Barbossa walked over to the surprisingly quiet Jack Sparrow and said, "You can't run, even if you wanted to, Jack. The world's smaller than it once was."

"World's the same size as it ever was." Jack corrected, "There's just less in it."

"Crikey, you pirates got it rough." Scott said, "Just wanna be free, but the world doesn't like that. I know how THAT feels…"

"Mr. Highflier, have you ever gazed upon the land of Australia?" Barbossa asked.

"Gazed on it?" Scott asked with a laugh, "I LIVED in it for YEARS!"

"Then, since ye seem to be sympathetic to our cause, I christen ye the Pirate Lord of Australia." Barbossa said, clapping the Aussie on the back.

"Strewth. ME, a pirate lord." Scott chuckled, "Wouldn't me dad love to see this…"

"Just don't let it go to your head, Scott." J warned.

The group was soon exploring the jungle of the island interior. They immediately found a spring…with a corpse inside of it and flies buzzing around.

"Oh Lord!" April said, covering her mouth and looking a bit sick.

Barbossa stuck his finger in and tasted it before spitting.

"Poisoned, fouled by the body." Barbossa stated, disgusted.

Pintel rolled the body over to show that it had a hunk of wood shoved into its mouth, piercing the brain case.

"I know him!" Pintel said, "He's from Singapore!"

"CRAP!" J swore as he wheeled over to the ship.

"CAPTAIN!" Shouted Martin the midget.

The group bolted out to see another ship was next to the Pearl…

Jack the Monkey

A monkey kept by Barbossa as a pet. Even though the curse was lifted over a year ago, he still turns into a skeleton in the moonlight. He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl _2003.

Cotton

One of Jack Sparrow's crew. He had his tongue cut out and trained a parrot to talk for him (no one knows how, though…). He first appeared in _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl _2003.

Martin

A midget member of Jack Sparrow's crew. He sometimes seems to have a position higher than his stature as he constantly shouts in order to gain Jack Sparrow's immediate attention when the situation is dire. He first appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl 2003.


	27. Mutiny

Chapter 27: Mutiny

The group immediately returned to the ship where they saw every member of the crew was tied up…except for Will and the Singapore pirates. A bald, Oriental pirate stood up with long fingernails, a set of scars on his temple, and ornate, black robes stepped up.

"Sao Feng." Jack said, uneasily.

"Sparrow." The Asian pirate said before punching him.

"By the way, Jack." J said, "Do you remember someone named Sakuzy?"

"Why yes, I…" Jack's sentence was cut off as J brought his gloved hand slamming into the pirate's face.

"He told me to give you a punch and say 'THAT'S for giving me to Jones!'." J explained, "He said some OTHER things, but I won't say them."

"Fic's rated T." Cotton's parrot squawked.

"Our agreement?" Will asked Sao.

"The Pearl is yours, CAPTAIN Turner." Sao stated.

"Will Turner, CAPTAIN Turner, needed my ship." Jack said, superciliously. He walked over to Elizabeth, "YOU felt guilty!" he waltzed over to Barbossa, "And YOU and your brethren court!" Jack walked over to J, Scott, and April, "And YOU three needed me for SOMETHING, I'm sure."

"Dang straight." J said.

"Didn't ANYONE rescue me JUST because they missed me?!" Jack shouted. Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti, and Jack the Monkey raised their hands. Jack's eyes darted between the rest of the crew and the members who had raised their hands, "I'm standin' next to THEM."

"Not so fast!" commanded Sao Feng, "There's an old friend that you must meet."

"Don't think I can survive anymore friends…" Jack said, fearfully as he was dragged away.

A group of EIC soldiers came swarming onto the Black Pearl and quickly restrained every member.

"Strewth, these guys underestimate us." Scott said. He lurched forward before bringing his arms together with enough force to cause the two soldiers restraining him to crash together. Every soldier soon had their guns at Scott and shot them. The Aussie dodged around a few of the musket balls, but one member butted him with the back of his rifle. A bullet was then fired and hit Scott in the leg, causing the Aussie to fall off the Pearl.

"SCOTT!" April screamed.

"Take this ship for the East India Trading Company." Ordered the head of this band of soldiers.

"The Pearl was supposed to be MINE!" Sao Feng barked.

"Beckett's not gonna give up the ship that can out-run the Dutchman." The leader replied, sadistically.

"Is it me or is everyone betraying everyone?" J asked.

"For once, J, I see your point…" April responded.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Scott remained underwater to make sure no one suspected anything. When he had landed in the ocean, instinct took over and he immediately adjusted his body to suit water: gills, turning his feet into flippers, and webbed hands. Blood was rushing from his body as the water brought it out. The salt water stung as he immediately began searching for the musket ball. He pulled it out with an extended nail and let it drift to the bottom of the sea.

One thing was obvious—he had to get out before he passed out or attracted unwanted attention from sharks. He reached out for the nearest thing and his head breached the water, shifting his body back to normal. He recognized this ship as the one the EIC soldiers came in on. He extended a hand and made them like a gecko's so that he'd stick to the slightly soaked wood. And in a manner eerily similar to his favorite superhero, he began to scale it.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"Treachery's a fickle thing, isn't it, Sao Feng?" Barbossa asked the Oriental pirate, "Care to join the Brethren Court now?"

"The Company has the Dutchman and NOW the Pearl." Sao Feng snapped, "What power does the Brethren Court have?!"

"We have…" Barbossa paused, then looked over everyone. "Calypso." He finished, silkily.

Sao Feng froze, then looked over both Elizabeth and April, but kept his gaze on Elizabeth, albeit a suspicious gaze.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Scott crawled up onto the ship and showed that it was…Sao Feng's ship.

_Crikey, I wound up on that bloke's ship._ Scott stated to himself.

Did I just say that? Ah, forget it…

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters of the EIC ship, Jack Sparrow was talking with Beckett.

"So, I lead you to Shipwreck Cove, you square me debt with Jones, and I go off, Scott-free?" Jack asked, drinking small glasses filled with something…probably alcoholic.

"Precisely." Beckett replied.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Scott growled out of frustration. Blood was leaving his wound with extreme rapidity. Without much cloth, he had to put his hand over it and apply pressure until he could find something to use as a bandage.

"Crikey." Scott muttered as he felt his bare head, "Lost me hat…(1)"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"I'll join your side." Sao Feng said, pointing at Elizabeth, "If you give me her."

Elizabeth herself looked flabbergasted, along with just about every other crewmate.

"I don't think any of us saw THAT coming." J stated. He was right.

"Done." Elizabeth said after a moment's hesitation.

"Not done!" Will objected.

"This is MY burden to bear." Elizabeth said, stubbornly as she walked over to Sao Feng's side.

"Remind you of anyone?" J simply asked April.

"Not now, J." April said.

"How about NOW?" J asked before shifting into a snake, freeing himself of the guards' grip. He shifted back a few seconds later and proceeded to beat them senseless.

"Right." April said before elbowing the guard holding her before quickly flying into the sky.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"There's just ONE thing you've forgotten." Jack pointed out, raising a finger.

"What?" Beckett asked.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack shrugged.

As if on cue, the Pearl and Sao Feng's ship started firing their cannons, missing the EIC ship, but causing shockwaves. Beckett's attention shifted from the pirate to the chaos outside. Jack seized the opportunity and bolted out the door and fled for the deck.

Beckett followed Jack to see that he had a rope tied around him and a match in hand…and a cannon not too far away. His plan was obvious.

"You're mad." Beckett said in disbelief.

"Well, thank goodness for that." Jack stated, grinning, "Otherwise, this probably would never work!"

Jack lit the cannon, which had a small figure of Beckett in the barrel. With an explosion, the cannon severed the rope, Jack was sent flying, and April flew out of nowhere to catch the pirate. When they landed, J simply stared.

"And I did all that without a SINGLE drop of rum." Jack explained, "And I couldn't 'ave done it without you, lass."

"Don't push it." April said, flatly.

"Where's that guy with the funny hat?" Jack simply asked.

"Shot in the leg and fell overboard." J replied, "I don't think he's dead, though. He's smart with his powers…despite the fact that he had to use them for every kitten stuck up a tree when he was starting out."

"Put this traitor in the stocks!" Jack ordered as the crew quickly restrained Will and dragged him off.

**Sao Feng**

The Pirate Lord of Singapore. He tried betraying our heroes in order to get the Black Pearl, but it didn't turn out so well. Now, he's holding Elizabeth Swann and, unknowingly, Scott Highflier on his ship and is sailing to Shipwreck Cove. He first appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 2007.


	28. Oriental Ship Attack

Chapter 28: Oriental Ship Attack

Scott grabbed a bottle of rum and immediately poured its contents onto his legs. The alcohol caused his body to seize up in pain, but he didn't cry out. It would give away his position on a possible enemy ship. He then grabbed a robe and tore off a strip, which he tied, tightly, around his leg. He stepped, gingerly, on it. It was a bit shaky, but it wouldn't give out. The sea water had helped it heal a bit, though…

The Aussie, satisfied with his work, stood, then walked around the ship. He had learned from J that avoiding being seen and heard had helped the shapeshifter survive for the last seven years of living alone.

It was never too late to start…

On entering the captain's quarters (Scott didn't know, though…), he spotted Elizabeth. Though she was wearing something that was a FAR cry from what he had first seen her in. She was decorated in an oriental dress bequeathed in sapphires and laced with gold. But there was something in her eyes that hinted that she would rather be locked up with Jack Sparrow than be here now.

Scott was about to go and stop heard someone approaching and immediately hid himself in the most unlikely way possible.

Scott gave his skin a certain texture similar to that of a flounder's underside. A flounder could scan whatever it was laying on, then turn the skin the exact same color, allowing a perfect blend-in. And flattening his body just like the fish helped him a lot. He pulled off his shirt (for the Scott Highflier fangirls…if any), blended into the wall, then seemed to disappear on touch.

The person passing by was Sao Feng…who didn't seem to notice the pair of pants and boots. He walked into the room, where Elizabeth was. Scott's original pigment returned as the Aussie pulled his shirt back on.

"I hope you find everything in order, Calypso." Said Sao Feng.

"Calypso?" Scott and Elizabeth asked, though the Aussie was mainly asking himself.

"Of course you would prefer other names." Sao Feng said, as though he knew what was going on, "The First Brethren Court, whose decision I would have opposed, made the choice to bind you in human form. Now, they wish to release you. And you will protect us from the Company."

"And what would you receive in return?" Elizabeth asked.

"I will take your fury." Sao Feng replied.

And, much to Scott's surprise (and disgust), the oriental pirate planted a VERY forceful kiss on Elizabeth's face. He could hear her squeal in protest…

NOW, the line had been crossed.

"Alright, THAT'S enough!" Scott barked, his chivalry coming before his sense of stealth as two bony spikes sprung from his wrists. Scott couldn't make new bones, but he COULD add adjustments to them. The spikes were merely extensions of his wrist joints.

At the sight of this, Sao Feng froze (more out of surprise than intimidation) as Elizabeth shoved him away. Suddenly, a cannonball smashed through the ship and hit Sao Feng, full in the gut. The Singapore pirate was sent, hurtling, into the opposite end of the ship and landed with an ominous CRASH.

Scott retracted his spikes out of sheer surprise at the quickness of the event. Elizabeth walked over, gave Scott a questioning look, then saw a horrible sight. Sao Feng had been impaled on a very sharp piece of wood.

"Sao Feng?" she whispered.

"Go…in my place…" Sao Feng said, weakly, while handing Elizabeth a small object, "You…will be free…"

And so, Sao Feng, Pirate Lord of Singapore, died that night. Elizabeth, curious as to the Asian pirate's last request, opened her hand to see a small, black, shell-like object.

"What the heck is that?" Scott asked.

"I don't know." Elizabeth said, "And, how'd you get on here, Scott?"

"Got shot, climbed up here." Scott shrugged, "You?"

"I came of my free will." Elizabeth replied.

Suddenly, an Oriental pirate burst in and took in the sight—a dead Sao Feng, Elizabeth, and some weird guy with a bandaged leg.

"What happened?!" the pirate demanded.

"Uh…long story." Scott said, hoping the guy would buy it.

"I'm…your captain." Elizabeth said, shock still leaving her.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

The newly christened captain, the Aussie, and the crewman bolted up the stairs to see that an entire army of grotesque, deformed men resembling sea creatures was attacking the ship. And Scott instantly recognized the dark skin and yellow eyes of a Heartless.

These new Heartless had very prominent jaws filled with sharp teeth. They walked on two legs, hunched over, and walked in a sort of lurch. These were Sharkmen Heartless.

"Crikey, I've seen it all." Scott sighed.

The Aussie flexed his muscles, then caused his bony spikes to re-emerge and began slicing through two oncoming crewmen. He was really grossed out by a slimy guy who had a moray eel for a head, especially when it broke a guy's neck by biting his head and twisting it to breaking point.

Scott held his own against the slimy seafarers for a while…but then things took a turn for the worse. Crewmen and Heartless alike arrived and the Aussie found himself restrained for the second time in a row.

"You're NOT my captain." The Oriental Pirate snapped at Elizabeth.

"Who's the captain?" asked a man with a formal, British accent.

"She is." The crewman, ironically, said.

"Elizabeth?" the man with the English accent asked.

"James?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're alive!" the man said, obviously surprised…in a pleasant way.

This was indeed James Norrington, a former pirate when Jack Sparrow had last seen him. Now, he was back at full glory with a coat, powdered wig, and hat.

"Did I miss something?" Scott asked from between his captors.

"My father is DEAD." Elizabeth stated, not hearing the Aussie's question.

"That…can't be. He returned to England." James said, obviously startled by this information.

"Did Beckett tell you that?" Elizabeth asked, coldly. She then said, "Obviously you've chosen your side. I'll stay with my crew and Scott."

Elizabeth and Scott were shepherded away by the Dutchman's crew, leaving James alone with his thoughts and his remorse…

"Hold on, how do ya know yer dad's dead?" Scott asked under his breath.

"Because I saw him…" Elizabeth answered, "I saw him with the people under the water…in Davy Jones' Locker."

**James Norrington**

Elizabeth's original fiancée. He tried arresting Jack Sparrow, but failed. He managed to retrieve Davy Jones' heart and gave it to Lord Cutler Beckett in order to get his honor back. He got it. However, NOW, he seems to be having his doubts. He first appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.


	29. At the Barn

Chapter 40: In the Barn

With the other members of the group, they arrived at Al's Toy Barn, however they met their first challenge—the sliding door. Each of them arrived on the pressure mat.

"JUMP!" Buzz shouted.

They all began jumping at random times.

"No, all together!" Buzz ordered, "One…two…three…JUMP!"

All at the same time, the toys jumped up and landed on the pressure mat, causing the doors to slide open.

"Alright, now we start looking." Sakuzy said before calling, "Hey, gramps, ya in here?"

"Sora!" Kairi called.

"Woody!" Hamm called.

Rex then noticed something in the magazine rack—a Buzz Lightyear game guide.

Sakuzy and Buzz ran past a blue aisle, but Buzz immediately took a few paces back.

"Buzz, we've got a job to do." Sakuzy said before noticing an entire aisle filled with nothing but Buzz Lightyear action figures. Sakuzy's mouth fell open as he simply said, "And you can't even find ANTIQUES of these things in my time…"

Buzz and Sakuzy walked through the aisle, looking awestruck at the action figures. Buzz then saw a particular sign: Buzz Lightyear Utility Belt.

Buzz whistled before saying, "I could use one of those."

Sakuzy put his hands together and gave Buzz a boost up. Buzz then helped Sakuzy up. The two stared in awe at a Buzz Lightyear Action Figure…with a utility belt.

"Apparently, it's IMPOSSIBLE to defeat Zurg unless you buy this book." Rex said, "Talk about extortion…"

To avoid having to listen this, Potato Head plucked out his own ears. Cait Sith, on the other hand, couldn't.

"You're lucky." He said.

"What?" Potato Head asked.

Suddenly, a small blue car drove over and screeched to a halt. Potato Head put his ears back in. The drivers? Hamm, Kairi, and Slinky Dog.

"Wow. Nice." Potato Head said.

"Hamm found this a few aisles over." Kairi explained.

"Thought we could travel in style." Hamm shrugged.

"Good thinkin'." Potato Head complimented.

"Why don't ya let someone with fingers drive?" Cait Sith asked as he pushed Hamm aside and took the wheel before driving off…and knocking over a few boxes.

Buzz waved his hand in front of the other Buzz Lightyear figure.

"Sakuzy?" Buzz asked.

"Yeah?" Sakuzy replied.

"Am I REALLY that fat?" he asked.

"Uh…" Sakuzy said, trying to sugar-coat his response.

Buzz then reached towards the other Buzz's belt…but the other Buzz suddenly came to life and grabbed Buzz's hand. He then twisted Buzz's hand around into a restraint and shoved Buzz against the plastic wall.

"Hey!" Sakuzy shouted as he caused his Keyblade to spring out of his wrist.

"What's going-?" Buzz was quickly silenced as the other Buzz shoved him into the plastic again.

"YOU are in direct violation!" The other Buzz barked, "Protocol states that all rangers are to remain in hyper-sleep until awakened by authorized personnel."

"Look, buddy, you're obviously confused, so…" Sakuzy's statement was quickly cut-off as the other Buzz delivered a fast punch to his face.

"So, you've got a co-conspirator? Star Command will hear about this!" Buzz 2 barked.

"Tell me I wasn't this deluded…" Buzz murmured…only to get shoved into the plastic again.

"DON'T back-talk!" Buzz 2 ordered, "I have a laser and I WILL use it!"

Buzz broke free from his double's grip and wheeled over to look at him with an irritated look, "You mean a laser that's a LIGHT BULB!"

Buzz pressed the button, which caused the little light bulb to blink rapidly. Buzz 2 gasped and jumped back onto a prop moon.

"Has your mind been MELDED?" he demanded, "You could've KILLED me, Space Ranger…or, should I say, TRAITOR?"

Buzz 2 activated his "laser" again, pointing it at Buzz's head.

"C'mon, Buzz, he's not worth it." Sakuzy said.

"Right, we've got a job to do—find Woody and Sora." Buzz said as the two began walking away.

"HALT!" Buzz 2 barked, "I ORDER YOU TWO TO HALT!"

"And I order you to SHUT UP." Sakuzy shot back, opening the door and hopping out after Buzz.

"Insubordination!" Buzz 2 snarled as he leapt out after the two, sending Sakuzy to the ground. He then wheeled around to deliver a punch to Buzz's face.

"Alright, THAT'S IT!" Sakuzy snarled as he held his Keyblade out and charged at Buzz 2. The double evaded the attack and grabbed Sakuzy's wrist before pulling it into a restraint and pushing him towards a pin-toy, "WAIT! NO, NO, NO! STO-"

An imprint of Sakuzy was immediately left in the pin-toy and the Future Keyblader-turned-Transformer was shoved into it.

"We've been down this aisle!" Slinky said as the group continued racing down a pink aisle with flower and bumblebee art on the floor.

"No, this aisle's PINK." Cait Sith replied.

"Guys, we HAVEN'T and I think we just got lost." Kairi said.

"Guys?" Hamm asked as the group looked over and…saw a bunch of Barbie dolls having a pool party.

"Excuse me?" Kairi called, "Could one of you bring us to Al?"

"I could help!" replied a voice. The six looked up and saw a Barbie wearing a blue outfit. She slid down a slide and landed in the driver's seat, pushing Cait Sith aside before making her intro, "I'm Tour Guide Barbie! Please keep all hands, feet, and accessories inside the car at all times."

Potato Head was staring at Barbie, but quickly closed his eyes and began chanting, "I'm a married spud. I'm a married spud."

"Then, make way for the single!" Hamm said, shoving Potato Head aside and jumping into the seat he was once occupying.

Meanwhile, Buzz 2 had successfully put Buzz onto a cardboard mat and tied his hands down before shoving him in.

"You're NOT the real Buzz Lightyear!" Buzz growled as Buzz 2 stood him up in the aisle, "You're a toy! WE'RE ALL TOYS! CAN YA HEAR ME?"

"Well, that should hold you two for the court marshal." Buzz 2 said, walking away.

Sakuzy remained in the pin toy as he simply said, "This is more painful than it looks…"

"And THIS is the Hot Wheels aisle." Barbie said as they continued driving through the aisles.

"Excuse me, Miss." Kairi said, "Where's this Al guy?"

"Please leave all questions until the end of the tour." Barbie replied, cheerily.

'Y'know, I always wondered why I stopped playing with those dolls…' Kairi thought.

"HEY!" Rex exclaimed, "It says how to defeat Zurg!"

Rex then put the magazine up, covering all of their faces. Every toy shouted in irritation as Barbie became disoriented and began to make several swerves.

"Rex…GET THAT OUT OF OUR FACES!" Kairi shouted as she pulled it up…just in time to see that they were quickly approaching a container of bouncing balls, "Guys, we're in trouble…"

THUMP.

The car hit the container…with enough force to cause the plastic container to move a bit. Bouncy balls began to flood out.

"STEP ON IT!" Cait Sith shouted. Barbie immediately obliged.

The car was going at a high speed…and actually took the game guide out of Rex's hand.

"MY SOURCE OF POWER!" Rex shouted as he jumped out of the car after it…before it slid under one of the shelves, "NOOO!" Rex then began chasing the car, "Hey! Wait up! Dinosaur overboard!"

"HIT THE BREAKS!" Cait Sith shouted. Barbie, once again, obliged. Rex hit the trunk and stumbled before landing in the trunk…upside-down.

"Please, no more shenanigans." Barbie said as the tour continued. Kairi then noticed a familiar figure in a pin game.

"I'll catch up, guys. Looks like Sakuzy needs help." Kairi said as she hopped out of the trunk. She walked to the pin game and, with an almighty heave, pulled Sakuzy out.

"Ouch…thanks." Sakuzy said, "But NEVER mention this to the others."

"Deal." Kairi replied. She then saw the car stop and Buzz hop into it, "We've gotta hurry up! They're leaving without-"

"Just lemme get Buzz out." Sakuzy said, walking over to a container with a struggling Buzz Lightyear action figure.

"Wait, if that's Buzz, then who was the guy they just picked up?" Kairi asked.

"ANOTHER action figure." Sakuzy growled, "He shoved me into those pins. Now, just help me get Buzz out."

Kairi helped Sakuzy pick up the container and place it on the ground before pulling the bottom out and taking out Buzz. Kairi undid one of the plastic twist-ties and Buzz quickly untied the other tie holding him down.

"Thanks." Buzz said, "We've gotta find the others! There's no time to lose!"

Buzz immediately took off running with Sakuzy and Kairi in hot pursuit.

**Buzz 2**

Another Buzz Lightyear action figure…only with a cool-looking utility belt. He's everything that Buzz Lightyear in…and is about as deluded as he was in the first place. He first appeared in _Toy Story 2_.

**Barbie**

Tour-guide Barbie. She knows her way around the mall, but insists that everyone follows tour regulations. She first appeared in _Toy Story 2_.


	30. Brethren Court

Chapter 30: Brethren Court

Barbossa pounded a hammer, calling the Brethren Court to order. April and J had never seen so many pirates gathered in one place. Pirates really DID come from all over the world, not just from England.

One woman from China had white makeup all over her face and a glazed eye. One man, possibly from Africa, had dark skin and very tribal clothing. One guy seemed Spanish, one guy was clad in gray and a powdered wig…possibly French. And the last one had a bushy beard and turban: definitely Middle Eastern…

"Bein' the one that summoned us all here," Barbossa announced to the crowd of pirates, "I welcome all of ye to this third Brethren Court. Present yer Pieces of Eight!"

A plate was being passed around and some of the Pirate Lords deposited small, random pieces. Amongst them were a snuffbox, a piece of paper, and a piece of elephant tusk.

"Those aren't Pieces of Eight." J stated, "Pieces of Junk, yes. Eight, no."

"Well, there was gonna be nine pieces of the eight Pirate Lords, but then skint broke out." Gibbs explained.

"Change the name, then." J said.

"To what?" Gibbs asked before saying, sarcastically, "Nine Pieces of Whatever We Happen to Have in Our Pockets at the Time? Aye, that sounds REAL pirate-y."

The plate was in Ragetti's hands. The skinny pirate looked nervous as Barbossa smirked at him.

"I kept it safe, just like ya wanted me to, cap'n." Ragetti said, nervously.

"Aye, but now, ye must return it." Barbossa replied, smacking Ragetti over the head, causing the wooden eye to pop out and land in the plate.

"Sparrow." Barbossa said,.

Jack made a nervous chuckle as he began fingering a coin in his hair. He looked over to the swords embedded into a globe, "Sorry, but neither Sao Feng or Mr. Highflier be here. So, I don't really think…"

"G'day, mates."

All turned to the entrance at the sound of the Australian voice to see Scott walk in with Elizabeth. Both of them were wearing pirate clothes that seemed to scream of Chinese origin.

"Scott!" April shouted, bolting over to the Aussie before punching him in the gut, "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

"Crikey, I forgot how good she punches…" Scott groaned, staggering up, but then was met with April's hug.

"Oh, who am I kidding? I could never stay mad at you…" she joked.

"And what the heck are you wearing?" J asked.

"Well, I've gotta wear SOMETHIN' while my clothes are dryin' out." Scott said.

"Just shove a sword in there, Mr. Highflier." Barbossa said, waving the entrance off.

"Scott Highflier." Scott introduced, causing a bony spike to spring out. He pulled it out and stuck it in the globe before saying, "Pirate Lord of Australia." He flexed his fingers, as though trying to put some feeling in them again. "Crikey, that feels weird…"

"And I am the new Pirate Lord of Singapore." Elizabeth, pulling out a sword and jamming it into the globe.

"WHAT?" Jack asked, dumbfounded, "Now I KNOW he was crazier than meself…"

"Sao Feng was KILLED by the Flying Dutchman." Elizabeth stated.

Immediately, a commotion broke out. J sighed before he shifted into an elephant and let out a loud trumpet that silenced them before he changed back.

"Thank you for cooperation." The shapeshifter said, showing his own hint of satisfaction.

"Our whereabouts have been betrayed." Elizabeth reported.

"No one among us would betray our whereabouts to the company!" Barbossa snapped.

"Where is Will?" Elizabeth asked.

"NOT among us…" J said, making a motion that suggested he was about to adjust his sunglasses, but remembered that Jack had stepped on them.

"What happened?" Scott asked, knowing was the shapeshifter COULD have done, but requiring confirmation.

"I'll…save that for another time." J replied.

"If we don't fight, we'll be struck without mercy." Elizabeth continued.

"That was pretty obvious." April said.

"Indeed, we must fight." Barbossa said, "But we cannot do it alone. There was a time when a force greater even than us ruled the sea—the Heathen Goddess Calypso. It was at that point that the first Brethren Court captured her and bound her in human form. THAT was a mistake. Sure, we tamed the seas for our own, but opened the door to Beckett and HIS ilk! Gentlemen, we must free Calypso!"

The immediate response to Barbossa's proposition was somewhat negative, because the pirates began shouting…

"SHOOT HIM!" shouted the African Pirate Lord.

"CUT OUT HIS TONGUE!" shouted the French Pirate Lord.

"Shoot him, cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue." Jack suggested, "And trim that scraggly beard of his."

"This is madness!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"This is politics." Jack corrected. (1)

Barbossa rolled his eyes and made a motion to J. The shapeshifter sighed before shifting into his elephant form again and letting out a loud trumpet. Once again, the arguing stopped.

"It was the first court that released Calypso, we should be the ones to set her free! And in her gratitude, she will see fit to grant us boons!" Barbossa shouted.

"Whose boons? Your boons?" Jack asked. "Utterly deceptive twaddlespit, says I."

"If ya have a better alternative, please share." Barbossa stepped off the table.

"THIS, I gotta see." J murmured.

"Cuttlefish." Was all Jack said.

"Bravo, Sparrow." J said, sarcastically while rolling his scarlet eyes.

Jack walked around the room like Barbossa had. "Let us not, dear friends, forget our…dear friends the cuttlefish. Pen 'em up together and they will devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, ain't it? Or…fish nature."

"Actually, aren't cuttlefish cephalopods?" Scott asked.

"Yes, but I think he's too retarded to know that." J replied.

"For sure." April said.

He stopped behind Ching, and spoke directly to her. "So, yes. We could hole up here, well provisioned and well armed, and half of us would be dead within the month! Which seems quite grim to me any way you slice it. Or…" He kept walking.

"As my luna- colleague so naively suggests, we could release Calypso. And we can pray that she will be merciful…I rather doubt it. Can we pretend that she is anything other than a woman scorned, whose fury like which Hell hath no? We cannot."

He had reached the other side of the room. "Therefore, we are left with one option. I agree with –and I cannot believe that the words are coming out of me mouth- Captain Swan. We must fight." Elizabeth looked extremely satisfied.

"You've always run away from a fight!" Barbossa accused.

"Crikey, this should be gettin' good…" Scott said.

"Have not!"

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so and you know it!"

All throughout that increasingly childish exchange, the other occupants of the room had followed the two back and forth as if watching a tennis game.

"Have not. I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here, now, that is what we all decide. We must fight…to run away!"

"When is running noble?" April asked. Scott simply shrugged.

Suddenly, the room was filled with exclamations of 'Aye!'

But Barbossa wasn't moved. "As per the code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King."

"You made that up!" Jack accused.

"Did I now?" He smirked. "I call out Captain Teague; Keeper of the Code!"

There was a collective gasp. Jack looked slightly put off, and the corner of his mouth began to twitch.

"Crikey, this ISN'T a time for rules." Scott barked, "The Dutchman's comin' and we're just sittin' here waitin' for…"

A single gunshot rang out as Scott's hat flew off. The Aussie Anatomy-Changer picked it up to show that a musket ball had gone straight through it.

"Is it me or have I been losin' hats lately?" Scott asked as he picked up a tricorn hat and put it on. It was worth having to hide his messy hair.

The room was totally silent again for the next time in the past few minutes. All eyes turned toward the doorway the shot had come from.

A man stood silhouetted against the pale gold light from a single lantern. He held up his smoking pistol and blew away a few wisps of it from the barrel. "The code is the law."

"Alright, I WON'T question your special codes now." Scott said, calmly.

He walked down into the light, and April was astonished to see an exact replica of Jack Sparrow with about thirty years added on.

"Is that…?"

"Yep." Gibbs replied, already knowing the question.

"And he…?"

"Uh-huh."

Teague walked slowly toward the table, but he stopped at Jack's back. "You're in my way, boy." Jack, timidly, stepped to the side.

Teague gestured to someone in the direction he had come. Out came two extremely old men, carrying a huge book between them. When they set it on the table, he opened it up slowly, almost reverently. He seemed to know exactly what page he wanted. He scanned the page for a moment, and then tapped a certain spot with his finger. "Ahhh…Barbossa is right."

"There's not been a king since the first Court!" The Frenchman said. "And that's not likely to change." The Pirate King was elected by popular vote. Each Lord would only vote for themselves.

"I call for a vote!" Jack announced after a quick thought.

"What the heck is he doing?" J wondered out loud.

There were a few annoyed sounds from the pirates. Teague, his job done, walked to a corner of the room, picked up a guitar, and began to play a quiet tune.

"I vote for Ammand, the Corsair!"

"Capitaine Chevalle, the Penniless Frenchman."

"Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee."

"Mistress Ching!"

"Gentleman Jocard."

"Elizabeth Swan."

"Barbossa."

"Villanueva!"

"Me." J stated.

"Scott Highflier."

The guitar stopped playing when they reached the final Pirate Lord. Jack half-smiled.

"Elizabeth Swan."

"…What?" everyone asked in surprise.

"I know. Curious, isn't it?"

Instantly, the Pirate Lords broke out into loud protests, trying to convince them to change his vote, or at least vote for himself and be done with it.

"Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the code, then?" Jack asked calmly, knowing what would happen.

A guitar string suddenly snapped, and everyone noticed. Teague sent a strange look at the others, murder in his eyes. The Pirate Lords fell silent immediately, and slowly sank back into their chairs.

"Very well." Ching said, after sending a (hopefully) calming gesture toward Teague. "What say you, Captain Swan, King of the Brethren Court?"

Scott knew he would remember her look of pure determination for the rest of his life. "Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we're at war."

Suddenly, the Arabic man, Sri Sumbhajee stood up and everyone turned, expecting a powerful voice. Much to their utter and total shock, he spoke in a very high, squeaky voice.

"And so, we shall go to war!"

"…No wonder he never talked." Scott stated, causing J to look down and grumble something about 'not believing this'.

**Captain Teague**

The Pirate Lord of Madagascar and Jack Sparrow's father. Most of his past is unknown other than he keeps, strictly, to the Pirate Code and keeps the shrunken head of Jack's mother on a necklace. He first appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

THIS…IS…SPARTA! Yeah, I've been watching that scene from 300 too much…


	31. Calypso

Chapter 31: Calypso

The ships were sailing, all members of the crew at the ready. They looked ready to begin to fight at a second's notice. The Flying Dutchman then came out of the mist. The pirates drew courage from one simple fact…

"All of us against the Dutchman." Scott grinned, "How tough can this get?"

However, things changed when something else penetrated the fog: a whole armada of ships. Everyone's mouths then fell open and Mr. Cotton's parrot flew off with a simple "abandon ship".

"You REALLY have to learn to shut up sometimes." J stated.

"Actually, there be somethin' that MIGHT turn in our favor." Barbossa said, "We must meet and negotiate."

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Barbossa, Elizabeth, Jack, J, and Scott walked along the sandy beaches. A few yards in front of them were Beckett, Will Turner, a crewman of the Flying Dutchman with brown hair who looked vaguely familiar to Scott, and Davy Jones, who was standing in a large bucket of water.

"Looks like me respect for the guy's went downhill…" Scott murmured.

"Will." J simply said. Will looked SEVERELY tempted to punch the shapeshifter in the face.

"You threw me overboard." Will stated.

"YOU were betraying our whereabouts." J replied, darkly, "And you still ARE, by the looks of it."

"J, after this, we'll need to talk." Scott hissed before saying, to Will, "We talked with your father, Will."

"He said you should stop and that it's a fool's course." Elizabeth finished.

"No course is foolish if there's one man to follow it." Will replied, passionately.

"But Will is not the traitor of your current whereabouts. Just look to your left to see who it is." Beckett replied. Everyone looked to their left, including Jack, who was on the far left. He then noticed everyone was looking at HIM.

"You still owe me your soul, Sparrow!" Jones spat, contemptuously.

"Technically, I died, so me debt is paid in full." Jack said, uneasily.

"And yet, you came back!" Jones growled.

"You have two choices." Beckett stated, "You will fight and all die. Or you can surrender in, which case, only MOST of you will die."

"You KILLED my father." Elizabeth stated, "Our choice is made. We fight." Elizabeth then looked at Will and Jack before saying, "We'll take Will and give you Jack."

"Jack be a Pirate Lord!" Barbossa snapped, "You have no right!"

"No right as king?" Elizabeth asked, coolly.

"Done." Beckett said.

"NOT done!" Jack shouted, desperately.

"Done." Elizabeth stated. Her mind was made.

"As you wish, yer nibs." Jack said, exaggerating the statement as he knelt.

"BLACKGUARD!" Barbossa barked, whipping out his cutlass, cutting a dreadlock with a coin on it from Jack's head. Jack the monkey walked over and picked it up and carried it over to Barbossa.

"We'll also take that anatomy-changer." The other crewman said in a low voice.

"Why me?" Scott simply asked as he walked over with Jack.

"Do either of you fear death?" Davy Jones asked the shapeshifter and pirate as they arrived by him.

"You have NO idea…" Jack replied.

"I'll take me chances." Scott stated.

Will walked over to the side of the remaining Pirate Lords. Scott adjusted his hat and J simply nodded. They worked this out from the moment they began walking here.

"Why do you listen to ELIZABETH now?" Will asked.

"She's the new Pirate King." Replied J.

"She's the Pirate King?" Will asked.

"Jack voted for me." Replied Elizabeth.

"Maybe he DOES know what he's doing…" Will said.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

The group had returned to the Black Pearl to a somewhat surprised crew.

"Where's Jack and that lad with the weird accent?" Gibbs asked.

"Probably on the Dutchman by now." J replied.

"Wh-WHAT?!" Gibbs shouted, dumbstruck.

"Uh…long story." April said, shakily.

The other pirates looked disheartened by this…but mostly because there wasn't any sign that the navy would be retreating.

"Now what?" J asked.

"We begin the freein' of Calypso!" Barbossa replied, pulling out the dish with the Nine Pieces of Eight.

"What do we have to do?" April asked.

"The ceremony be simple." Barbossa answered, "Collect the Pieces of Eight, the Pieces are to be burned, and someone must say 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds'."

"That's it?" J asked. THIS was getting far too simple. He was considering if all this was worth the trouble they'd been through…

"It's said that it must be said as if to a lover." Barbossa replied. He then lit a match and shouted, to a tied-up Tia Dalma, "CALYPSO, I RELEASE YOU FROM YOUR HUMAN BONDS!"

He dropped the match and…absolutely nothing happened.

"You didn't say it right." J sighed, walking over to Tia.

"Wait, what's he doing?" Ragetti asked, earning a shrug from Pintel.

J closed his crimson eyes and slowly let an image of his one love emerge from his thoughts. After a tense quiet, he spoke in a quiet and, surprising as it may seem, a rather soft voice.

"Calypso, I release you from your human bonds."

Immediately, where there once was a smoldering match, there came a warm and flickering flame. The Pieces of Eight were reduced to small piles of ash and some kind of liquid. Calypso convulsed as she inhaled the smoke of the burned pieces of random objects.

"Am I the only one surprised by that?" Ragetti asked.

"Tia Dalma!" Will shouted as he bolted over to the woman whose convulsions were becoming more erratic. He was stopped by various pirates, but still leaned in to say, "Calypso, do you know who it was who told the Brethren Court how to imprison you?"

"Tia Dalma" looked up, and something in her eyes told Will that this wasn't Tia Dalma anymore.

Calypso…

"NAME HIM!" Calypso spat out, still convulsing madly.

"Davy Jones." Will replied, trying to free her.

Tia Dalma's face screwed up in pain as she let out a wail. She then began to grow until the ropes restraining her strained in protest and the wood she stood on began to crack and splinter. Tia's growth continued until she was almost as tall as the mast and the surface of the Black Pearl began to creak, dangerously close to the breaking point.

J was thankful that the ropes covered the majority of her body…and so was April.

"Calypso!" Barbossa shouted, falling to his knees, along with everyone else, "I come to thee, humble and contrite. Wishing no more from ye than for you to destroy themselves who call themselves yer master…and mine."

Calypso's face slowly twisted into a smirk, her breathing seeming to rock the entire ship. Suddenly, she started shouting something in a language none of them understood. And before anyone could figure out what was going on, she slowly started to dissolve into a massive wave of rock-like crabs, seeming to drown everyone on-board in its wake. In a matter of moments, though, all of them had either skittered off the ship and into the water or remained on board the ship doing their own business.

So much for THAT plan…

J growled in both irritation and pain as he pulled a crab out of the inside of his jacket and April yelped as she tugged at one that had, somehow, clamped its pair of pincers on her earring. But the most comical was when Ragetti shrieked, then reached into his pants and pulled one out.

No one bothered to ask where it had nailed him.

"Why did I get this thing in the first place?" the flier muttered while prying the crab off and tossing it overboard.

"Now what?" Will simply asked.

Elizabeth's response was to look over the crew of the Black Pearl. The crew looked disheartened by the happenings of late. She couldn't blame them; their greatest ally seemed to have abandoned them.

However, she wouldn't let this keep her down. And she decided that they would NOT allow it to dampen any other spirits.

She grabbed a hold of the mast and shouted out, triumphantly, "PIRATES! The navy has us outnumbered twenty-to-one! They think that this will defeat us! But, when we sail into battle, they will not see simple sea rats on a toy ship! They will see FREE MEN on a FREE vessel! Fighting for their freedom! We will STAND AND FIGHT! And, if we do this, all will remember that a gathered group of vessels fought like heroes for their rights and freedom!"

Soft murmurs started up, but with the confidence that Elizabeth was giving them, it had turned into cheering in no time flat.

"We're outnumbered twenty-to-one…" J said before smirking, "I like those odds…"

"We've got a good wind at our backs!" Gibbs exclaimed, "That's all we'll need!"

Elizabeth pulled out her cutlass and shouted, "WE ARE THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!"

The cheers that the pirates emitted could have shaken the ground. at this as they pulled out their swords and pistols. They would continue. They wouldn't stop until they died. They WOULD win!


	32. Scott's Haunting

Chapter 32: Scott's Haunting

Scott was fingering the bars of the cell he and Jack were imprisoned in. It was short lived when he saw a barnacle peep out at him.

"Strewth, never thought I'd be trapped in HERE again…" Scott groaned to himself.

Jack was just…sitting in front of the bars, staring. He suddenly saw two other versions of himself.

"Congratulations, Jackie." Jack 1 said, grinning, "Yer inside the Dutchman, now."

"What're you two doing back here?" Jack asked.

"Who're ya talkin' to, Jack?" Scott asked. From his point of view, Jack was simply talking to himself.

"We got nowhere BETTER to go to." Jack 2 answered Jack, "Besides, we were just wantin' to congratulate ye."

"…" Jack thought for a moment before commanding, "Go away."

"Where, back to the Locker?" Jack 1 asked, "No chance."

"Jack, you're freakin' me out, mate." Scott stated, but it was obvious that the pirate wasn't listening.

"But one problem…" a third Jack said as he tore himself free from the cell walls, leaving the top of his skull. He fingered his exposed brain before pulling it out and continuing, "We're down HERE and it's up THERE…"

"Definite problem…" Jack stated.

"Oh, look!" Jack 2 said, plucking something out of Jack's hair, "Peanut!"

"J noticed somethin' about the Dutchman…considering one of those keys he's got was pointin' at it." Scott explained, "We figured one of those map pieces are here, so we made a plan before headin' to the negotiations. Basically, infiltration. And I've been in here before, so…"

Scott grabbed the bars and enhanced his muscles to the point that he could have rivaled a bodybuilder. Bracing himself, Scott emitted a mighty heave and tore the door free before hurling them at the opposite wall.

"C'mon, mate!" Scott said.

"Coming!" Jack said, taking off as Scott bolted out.

"Nice lookin' chap." Jack 1 said.

"Miss him already." Jack 2 said.

"NOBODY MOVE!" Jack 3 shouted, catching both Jacks' attention. He was walking, precariously, while scouring the cell. "Dropped me brain!"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

The ships were steadily approaching each other, the battle inevitable now. And each moment seemed to be a lifetime and a second at the same time.

"HOIST THE COLORS!" Elizabeth shouted.

With obvious pleasure, the pirates raised their various flags. Though they differed, they all had the same basic design—the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones symbol.

"I don't like the look of those rain clouds…" J murmured as he took a look at the sky, which was quickly filling with clouds so gray that they were almost black.

"DUTCHMAN APPROACHING!" shouted Martin the midget.

"PREPARE ALL CANNONS!" Elizabeth shouted.

"Roger." J stated, going below deck.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Onboard the Flying Dutchman, it was apparent that J wasn't the only one who noticed the oncoming storm. Davy Jones himself looked up at the sky and saw the vague image of a face jeering down at him.

"Calypso…" he said to himself.

Raindrops began to pour down on the cephalopod captain as a look of sadness came upon his face. But soon, that went to agitation, then to anger, and then to utter rage; in no time at all, Jones was roaring at the top of his lungs.

"Which way to the ol' Squid Head's cabin?" Scott asked as he and Jack bolted upstairs.

"Just keep runnin' and I'm sure we'll find it, mate…" Jack replied as the running continued.

However, their running was cut short when a figure in a black cloak stood before them.

"I'm NOT going to let you go further." He said in a familiar, deep voice.

"You're that bloke from the negotiations!" Scott barked, recognizing the voice in an instant.

The figure removed his hood to show that he was, indeed, the person at negotiations—a somewhat square jaw, short, brown hair, and looked to be in his mid-forties.

"Seeker, eh? Jack, get goin'." Scott stated as he held his hands in a combat-ready position, "I'll take this bludger."

"Not complainin', mate!" Jack said as he bolted past Scott and the Seeker.

"My name is Xijm." The Nobody said, "Number Four of the Seekers. Known also as the Malicious Mutant."

"Why do they call ya that?" Scott asked.

"That's not the point." Xijm snapped, but suddenly paused on seeing Scott's face. He squinted, as though trying to place where he had seen it, then he seemed to realize where he had seen it.

"I don't want to fight you. Leave, NOW!" he said, his tone changing suddenly to one someone would use if they REALLY didn't want to fight someone they particularly liked.

Scott simply adjusted his hat before cracking his knuckles and saying, "Not in a million years, mate!" Scott jumped at Xijm and threw a punch at the Nobody…who caught it in his palm. Scott brought his other fist at Xijm, who caught it with his other hand, "Too bad you only got two hands, ya bloke…"

Scott brought his boot swinging over to Xijm, ready to catch him off-guard and land a good blow. However Scott felt something under Xijm's coat seize his foot with an iron grip…almost literally.

"I warned you…" Xijm stated as he tossed Scott into the wall of the ship's interior, causing the walls to splinter slightly at the impact.

"How the heck…?" Scott asked, staggering up while clutching his chest.

Xijm's response was to rip his robes off. He was bare-chested and had two long, serpentine, mechanical arms coming out of his back. These arms ended in four sharp claws and had an ominous-looking blue eye in their centers.

"Now you know why I'm called Malicious Mutant." Xijm replied, sternly. With a series of shrill, mechanical shrieks, the arms flew towards Scott.

The Aussie barely dodged the first blow and blocked the second with his arm…which he immediately regretted, considering the impact nearly broke his arm. He swung his arm free and charged at the Mutant Nobody. Xijm sent his arms at the Aussie again, however the superhuman caused a complex network of bones to spring out of his arm and brought it down. It didn't do any physical damage to the tentacle, but it did capture it in the tangled mess of marrow. Scott then brought his fist crashing into Xijm's face. The Nobody was sent tumbling into the wood of the ship…unfortunately causing the trapped arm to wrench the network of bones to shattering point.

Scott's yell in pain was long…and LOUD. He quickly pulled himself together, jumped at Xijm, and swung his boot around again.

"SAY G'DAY TO ME BOOT!" he shouted. Xijm's arm sprung out again to catch Scott's boot a second time, "Should've seen that coming."

"Obviously." Xijm stated before swinging Scott around like a rag-doll. He then brought the Aussie slamming down and sent his other tentacle smashing into the Aussie's gut. Scott let out a yell as the air was smashed from his lungs. Xijm then dropped the Aussie, who lifted himself up as he coughed up blood. Xijm cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Why won't you just give up?"

"'Cuz…I don't let blokes like YOU just get off, scot-free…" Scott replied, grinning despite himself. He staggered up and readied himself to continue the fight.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

While all Scott went through was happening, the other pirate and EIC ships entered into open combat. Cannons were firing like mad as Barbossa steered the ship through the monster whirlpool between the Pirate ships and the Royal Navy. The captain of the Caspian laughed, insanely, as he continued to steer the ship. The cannon fire was like claps of thunder and grappling hooks latched onto enemy ships as Navy Soldiers, Jones' Crew and Heartless took advantage of the edge that was given to them.

"Wished they were still on MY side…" Barbossa murmured as he pulled out a flintlock and shot a Heartless through the head.

"Great, they're HERE, too…" April growled as she swung her heel into a Heartless' face…only to find three more in the air that charged at her. April took into the air and flew off, leading the Heartless after her.

J jumped up as an Air Pirate flew over and grabbed its wings, letting his involuntary means of transportation fly past the Pearl and towards the Dutchman. He pulled his weight down on the wings and caused the Air Pirate to crash into the mast. The shapeshifter landed in a ninja-esque pose on the ground as he shifted into a pterosaur and took off into the roaring winds. He began tearing at the Heartless with his talons and beak as something burst from the interior of the ship. It was Scott, who was still fighting Xijm…and with much difficulty, too.

"CRIKEY!" Scott shouted as he hit the deck with a dull THUD. The Malicious Mutant had just tossed him halfway across the ship with inhuman strength.

"You should've retreated while you had the chance." Xijm stated as he emerged, his mechanical tentacles emitting a shrill, metallic shriek.

Suddenly, without warning, a black raptor sprang at Xijm with a screech, but Xijm seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. This reason was brought up when Xijm's right tentacle shot behind him and slammed the raptor aside.

Scott seized his chance with Xijm and sprang to throw his crocodile-skin boot at him. Xijm's tentacle sprang to defend and Scott's boot slammed into its metallic surface. Scott quickly backed away and ducked when the tentacle made to attack him.

The center of Xijm's tentacle suddenly opened up and a wicked, two-foot spike emerged from it.

"Bugger…" Scott said, then swiftly evaded it as the tentacle thrust at him. However, he had so narrowly evaded that the spike grazed his shoulder, shedding blood.

Xijm advanced, but J, abandoning shapeshifting completely, sprang at his back. A tentacle thrust out in defense, but J miraculously kicked it away and thumped Xijm in the back.

Xijm stumbled forward, then turned to the shapeshifter with an odd smirk. "So, you're the one Ohryx has been talking about?" he asked.

J remained oddly silent, not wanting to give this Nobody any pleasure…if they could feel any.

"But I'm afraid you've got bigger problems than me." Xijm pointed out, then took his other tentacle and mentally opened up its center. From it emerged a four-barreled gun of sorts.

"Oh, crap…" J cursed, then took cover.

Xijm's barrels rotated and unleashed a hail of laser blasts like a Gatling gun. J took cover behind the mast, so the only victims were Corporation members, Jones' crew, and Heartless.

J peeked around the mast just as Xijm stopped firing, but he felt a presence behind him and moved just as a Crewman came down on him. With a movement of his leg, he had dislodged the man.

In all the excitement, he had forgotten they were in a war…

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Now, most of the people reading this were probably wondering "Where's Jack Sparrow in all this?", but fear not. HERE HE IS…

Jack Sparrow had gotten the Dead Man's chest, leaving hastily because of that metal-armed fellow. But he also wanted to escape the ship UNNOTICED…which was not going to happen since Jones was part of the crew.

"Well, look here, men." Said a familiar voice.

Jack whirled around, then his eyes widened in horror. It was Davy Jones and a few of his henchmen.

"A lost bird." Jones continued, "A lost bird that never learned to FLY."

Jack's immediate response was to…smile? "Never too late to try." He said, and with a swing of the chest, he knocked the rope loose and he catapulted all the way to the mast.

Jack waved his arms to try and regain his balance on the mast, but was soon met with horror. Out of the mast, through some kind of merging process, came Jones himself.

"Yer a dead man, Sparrow." Jones said, drawing out a rusted cutlass.

"Am I?" Jack asked, drawing his own cutlass. And in no time flat, both were in a swift duel of blades atop the Dutchman's mast.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Back with Scott's fight with Xijm, the Aussie leapt forward and caused a large disk-shaped bone to appear on his wrist, making a rudimentary shield. One of the tentacles sped forward…only for Scott to thrust out his rudimentary shield and cause it to crash into solid bone. The Aussie jerked his shield up to deflect the blow as a long spike protruded from his other wrist. He blocked another tentacle attack and jumped over it before thrusting out his wrist spike. Xijm simply blocked with a tentacle and discarded him.

"You'd be better off if you simply walked away." Xijm stated.

"Sorry, I'm not that kinda bloke…" Scott replied as he pulled out a Summon—the one with a set of Bongo drums on it. What choice did he have?

"BALOO!"

"Scott!" shouted an oddly playful voice as a jungle seemed to sprout from the ship's deck. After a few rustles in the bushes, a large, gray bear sprinted out before screeching to a halt. On seeing Scott, he high-fived the Aussie. "You better believe it!"

Baloo magically pulled out a set of bongos and began to play a rhythmic beat. The sound waves actually flew out and hit Xijm with stunning force, as though drawing him in. As Scott watched, several Heartless, Crewmen, and Corporation soldiers began to gather around him…and were dancing to its hypnotic tone. Soon, Scott realized that the more enemies Baloo lured in, the more damage he would be able to do.

After quite a few enemies had gathered around Baloo's hypnotic beat, the Bear set the drums on the ground, jumped in the air, and landed feet-first on them. A large shockwave of sound burst from the impact and was more than enough to send Xijm to the other side of the ship, where the other pirates were fighting.

"Catch ya later, buddy." Baloo said, then clapped Scott on the shoulder and vanished back to his home world.

Scott straightened his hat, then approached the Seeker. On doing so, something in his brain clicked like a light-switch.

"Hey, ya look familiar…" the Aussie stated, straining his memory.

Before Scott could continue, Xijm vanished into darkness…though the expression on the Mutant's face was one of concern.

"Strewth…" Scott simply swore as he caused bones to extend from his wrist just in time to block a cutlass.

Back with J, the shapeshifter changed back to normal in midair in order to bring his foot smashing into another Air Pirate. He then shifted into a hawk again and landed on the ship before changing back to normal. He spun himself and tripped two EIC Soldiers. He then took their bayonets and proceeded to stab the unfortunates. He stood up and was met with two muskets pointing right at him.

Nothing happened.

J took a closer look at the two soldiers and realized that they didn't blink, as though caught by surprise. The two collapsed to reveal that they had been hacked down, and right behind them was a person J HOPED he wouldn't have to see anytime soon…

"Ohryx…" J growled.

It was him indeed, the same black hair, the same eyes, and the same nunchuk-swords. J didn't know why, but this particular Nobody made his blood boil.

Ohryx united his nunchuk blades into a single sword, then took three steps forward.

"Greetings, Jason." The Timebender replied in his usual, dark tone, "It hasn't been very long…"

"What the heck do YOU want?" J growled as his glove squeaked in protest of the intensity of his grip.

"Just to say this." Replied the time-bender, "To say that…the one you fear and the one you love…they're both in my grip. The one that has hunted you and the one you seek…they're both MINE."

J's ruby eyes widened as he, surprisingly, stammered, "Wh-what are you talking about?!"

"You know, Mr. Kayde." Replied Ohryx as he started to fade away, "You know all too well."

"Wait!" J said, lunging for Ohryx…too late. The Time Bender had already vanished amidst the chaos of the battle.

The curse that escaped his lips would have made Cid Highwind blush.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Jack and Jones continued their deadly duel atop the Dutchman's Mast. Jones and Jack had locked weapons, blades crossed.

"Hand over the chest, Jack." Davy snarled at him.

"Why?" Jack asked, "I have the key…"

Jones' expression was of mock surprise, and he lifted a tentacle to reveal the two-pronged key of the Dead Man's Chest.

"No you don't." Jones mocked.

"Oh." Jack said, amusedly, "That key."

Then, much to Jones' surprise, Jack used the chest to smack the sword away and used the cutlass to take a slash at Jones' beard. The Dutchman's Captain roared in pain as the sword cleaved through his tentacle beard…and the key fell down to the deck.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Far above the ships, April delivered a series of kicks to an Air Pirate before delivering a powerful punch to its face. It was a hassle, but that was battle for you. She turned to look behind her and let out a sigh of exasperation as more began following her. A quick look down and she noticed that the ships were still firing their cannons.

April got an idea. A dangerous one that could mean life or death…

But at least it would help decimate the Heartless a little quicker.

April dove into the crossfire and the Heartless followed her as though dragged by an invisible wire.

The crossfire of two naval ships was NOT a good place to be. The cannonballs being fired were massive, fast, and unpredictable. Should one of these cannonballs hit April, her life would be in an instant.

But so would the Heartless', and that was just what she was aiming for.

April descended slightly, narrowly dodging a cannonball in the process. The Heartless wasn't as intelligent, falling victim to the same cannonball. It flew back faster than the blink of an eye as another projectile destroyed one of its brethren. Once all of her pursuers were in range of cannon fire, she flew upwards, out of the range of the cannons as they, inadvertently, blew the Heartless to shreds.

Whew…April thought to herself, That was easy…and life-threatening.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OH

After a series of hectic events, Jack had landed on the deck. He almost got up when he spotted something crawling around like an inchworm. But it wasn't the way it was moving that was weird.

It was the fact that this thing was dragging the two-pronged key of the Dead Man's Chest…

Jack immediately snatched the key up and unlocked the chest, revealing Jones' still-beating heart.

"That would be mine." Jones said, materializing from the floor and drawing his barnacle-encrusted sword.

Much to Jack's surprise, J sprung at Davy Jones almost from out of nowhere and thrust out his fist. The Octopus-headed captain seemed to have seen that coming, for he ducked and belted him in the midsection with his crab leg.

The shapeshifter fell onto the deck with a grunt.

"G'DAY!" Scott shouted as he thrust out with a wrist-spike.

Jones reached up, grabbed the spike with his crab-claw, and applied pressure to the outgrowth until it snapped. The Aussie gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming at the top of his lungs, caught himself, then followed up the attack and threw a punch at Davy Jones' face.

A simple duck and a single swipe were enough to stop the attack and dislodge Scott.

Jones towered over Scott, but before he could even do anything, Will Turner came from out of the blue to stab Jones in the chest just at the heart area. The Octopus captain paused for a minute, then simply chortled at the attempt on his life.

"Forgetting something, Mr. Turner?" Davy Jones asked, then brought his claw up to the sword and bending the tip with inhuman strength, "I'm a heartless wretch!"

Will tried to pull his sword out, but the bent tip kept him from doing so. Jones turned around trying to get at Will, but couldn't reach him if he stayed behind the captain. But then something unexpected happened, he turned sharply and backhanded Will, causing the blacksmith to fly into the cabin's wall.

"WILL!" Elizabeth shouted.

"Ah." Davy Jones said with a sadistic smirk as he drew a cutlass and walked over to Will, "Is THIS yer lover?" he didn't wait for Will to reply as he raised his cutlass. "I release you."

"Hold on!" came a voice, catching Jones' attention.

There was Jack Sparrow, holding a broken sword in one hand and Jones' heart in the other. Jack smiled.

"Got you beat." He pointed out.

"You aren't that heartless." Jones challenged.

"Oh, I am. What about you?"

Jones' response was a smirk, then a swift movement of his sword…right into Will's body. THIS was not something Jack had taken into mind…

"WILL!" everyone shouted.

J's immediate response was to get back on his feet and bolt over to the Octopus-headed captain. He swung his foot into Jones' face and sent the captain of the Dutchman into the air. April then fell down to bring her sandal-covered foot into Jones' face. However, the moment they made contact, Davy Jones clamped his claw on the flier's ankle and pulled to one direction with a sickening crack. Her ankle was broken.

"APRIL!" Scott shouted as the girl was tossed to the galley below.

The Aussie growled as a bony spike emerged from each wrist. He let out a snarl as he bolted over to Davy Jones and thrust one of the spikes into Jones' chest before pulling it out to shove the other one in. Jones pulled out his cutlass and thrust it at Scott, who ducked and used his usual 'weapon catch' technique by causing multiple bones to sprout from his back and catch the sword. Jones let out a growl as he smashed the bones with his claw and pulled the cutlass free.

Jones and Scott circled each other. Scott was, by far, at a serious disadvantage. But he had to keep Jones' attention off April, who lay only a few meters away.

The tide changed when Jones caught Scott across the chest. As the Aussie cried out in surprise, Jones seized him around the face and threw him away to land a meter away against the quarter doors. Scott's wound wasn't a fatal…instantly, anyway. Scott fell to the ground in the growing pool of his blood.

"I bid thee farewell, Mr. Highflier!" Jones shouted as he held the cutlass up. Scott braced himself for whatever was to come when Jones froze in his tracks and his cutlass dropped out of his shaking hand. The Aussie looked over and saw that Jack had shoved a knife into Will's hand and guided it to stabbing the heart. Jones looked up and said one word, "Calypso…"

The dethroned captain slowly staggered back, right to the edge of the ship, and then fell off the deck of the ship and into the raging whirlpool below.

"Scott!" April shouted as she bolted over to the barely conscious Aussie, "Don't die. Don't die!"

"He won't." J said. He leaned over to Scott and said, "Listen, Highflier. If you don't get your chest mended FAST, you'll be dead."

Something of what J said seemed to have registered to the Aussie, because the slash across his chest began to mend. Blood vessels and muscles reattached as skin covered it. J immediately began to work. Unconscious, Scott's anatomy altering would only last for a few minutes. The shapeshifter ripped off Scott's left sleeve and tied it as tightly as he could around the anatomy changer's chest.

"That's the best we can do for now." J stated. He was beginning to envy Keybladers; at least THEY had healing spells.

The shapeshifter suddenly noticed that the water that Dutchman was drifting about on was suddenly getting closer. Looked like it was time to abandon ship. He grunted as he shifted into a seabird and took to the wing as soon as he could.

"Right…" April said as she heaved the unconscious Aussie onto her shoulders and took off. It wasn't as easy with all of Scott's weight on her back, but she managed to get to the Black Pearl…along with Jack and Elizabeth (somehow).

The storm, which had been raging for a majority of the day, suddenly began to clear. The clouds parted, showing a blue sky, and the rain slowed to a stop. It was almost as though the storm never happened.

"Cap'n!" Gibbs shouted as he approached Jack, "The Dutchman's gone, but the rest of the Navy's still here! And I think it be high time to embrace the boldest and noblest of pirate traditions!"

"Never had one to begin with…" Jack mumbled, then noticed that the Navy ships were quickly closing in on the group of pirate blockade. "Ready the cannons!" Jack ordered.

"But, Jack…" Gibbs was quickly interrupted by Jack.

"Gibbs, belay!" when Gibbs continued trying to object, Jack kept interrupting, "Gibbs! Belay! Belay! Stow! Shut it!"

"Ya heard him!" Barbossa shouted, "READY CANNONS!"

The Black Pearl pulled out its cannons, ready for anything be it life or death, when, suddenly, the waters began to stir. All heads turned to the sound and watched in awe as the Flying Dutchman burst from the waters.

Aboard the Dutchman, the crewmen slowly changed form until they were no longer hideous amalgams of sea creature and man. And who else was at the wheel other than…Will. Now clad in an outfit fit for a captain, a huge scar laced over his chest where his heart used to be. The crew had cut it out and put it in the Dead Man's Chest, saving his life just in time.

Jack smiled, as did Elizabeth and Will as they all shouted one word…

"FIRE!"

The cannons from all the pirate ships and the Dutchman fired at the same time, decimating the Company ships. Normally, this was suicide, but with the Dutchman on their side…THEY COULDN'T LOSE!

Beckett just…stared. He was beaten…by PIRATES?

"What are your orders, sir?" a company member asked, desperate for action. When Beckett didn't answer, he asked again. "Sir? What are your orders?"

"It's strictly business…" Beckett said, more to himself than anything.

The corporation members obviously took this saying as "abandon ship", as they immediately started to panic and get away. Beckett, meanwhile, walked out onto the deck, even as splinters and cannonballs were racing past him.

Then it happened, the ship began to sink when a cannonball struck just where he was about to put his foot. His fate had been sealed…

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"WOO-HOO!" April shouted as she took off into the air.

"Well, that was…different." J stated, then watched as the rest of the navy ships turned about-face and retreated.

A groan turned the two superhumans' attention to Scott, who clutched his head. After massaging the back of his head, he looked around.

"What'd I miss?" Scott asked. He tried to move, but winced and clutched at the wound on his arm

"Nearly bleeding to death." J replied, "We shouldn't stay long if you're going to get medical treatment."

"That Xijm bloke…" Scott said, apparently ignoring J's statement. It DID, however, catch J's attention. "He looked familiar. I know I've seen 'im somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it…"

"Hm. Seems that we both have ties to these Seekers." J said, relating to Scott "But that will have to wait for another time. Right now, I suggest finding that map piece."

As if on cue, the key ring in J's jacket pocket suddenly jerked itself free of its prison and a single key seemed to stand out from the others. It was the key that looked like a Jolly Roger. It swiveled, then pointed at the Dutchman before transforming into a small beam of light. The beam shot out, raced through the Dutchman (scaring the life out of the crewmembers) and struck the Dead Man's Chest.

As the three superhumans watched in shock and awe that a key could turn into something THIS random, the beam seemed to retract. With it came a small piece of parchment. J grabbed it, then inspected it; it had black writing on it that looked like nothing he ever saw and he had seen a lot. On noticing that Scott and April were hovering over his shoulder (for April it was quite literal), he quickly pocketed it.

"Why didn't we find that sooner?" April asked, remembering that the key had not acted while aboard the Dutchman.

"Most likely because the Heartless' essences were interfering." J replied.

Scott shrugged. It made sense, he supposed. "Guess we've gotta be ready for that later, mates." Scott stated, "Least we got what we came here for, so I'm not complaining."

"Back to the ship, then." April said, then took out

**Xijm**

Number 4 of the Seekers, also known as the Malicious Mutant. His primary weapons are two mechanical arms that spring from his back. He's intelligent and calculating, but seems to be a bit of a pacifist…especially when Scott became involved. He also appeared to have something to do with the Australian's past.

**Baloo**

A laid-back, music-loving bum of a bear from Wangunga Jungle. He helped Sora and co. while they were collecting Pure Hearts and isn't afraid to pop up and use his sense of rhythm to help Scott out. He first appeared in The Jungle Book.

THAT was Baloo's Bongo Blast.

Xijm is voiced by Thomas Haden Church (Sandman on Spider-Man 3). If you have better suggestions, please say them.


	33. Dark Takeover

Chapter 33: Dark Takeover

In the midst of a town square, an armored figure ran as fast as he could. He had been infiltrating this place for almost two weeks now and, so far, he wasn't even close to getting his job done.

He turned a corner, then spotted an alleyway and slid into it, his back against the wall. The sounds of marching feet streamed past the alleyway and he sighed in relief and disdain.

This whole thing sounded easier than it really was.

Atlantica…

"Fog lights…" Depth growled as he steered the ship through fog, which was thicker than pea soup, "Where the heck are the FOG LIGHTS?!" Depth continued to fly, blindly, through the fog until…SPLASH! "Never mind…" he grunted.

Depth had said the right thing because he had steered the Gummi Ship, headlong, into the water

"Looks like we've wound up in Atlantica." Riku said as he unfastened his seatbelt and bolted over to the hangar bay.

"Wait, Riku." Mickey said, "We've gotta cast the spell first."

"Right. Sorry." Riku said, apologetically.

"Try not to let it happen again, kid." Depth stated, "If you do, I won't save you from drowning again."

Mickey focused, then thrust his Keyblade into the air. Beams of light struck the group, sending a tingling feeling through their bodies. At least this indicated that the spell had worked.

"Alright, we can go in now." Mickey stated as the light faded.

"Let's just get this over with." Depth murmured as the three jumped into the water.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Riku opened his eyes to see that his shirt was gone and that his lower body had been replaced with an orca's tailfin. THIS brought back memories from the Crystalli Invasion that happened a year ago. He also remembered that it took a while to get the hang of swimming.

After refreshing his memory, Riku looked over at his two partners. What he saw surprised him.

Mickey's body now resembled a large, mammalian caterpillar with two flippers in place of his hands, but seemed to lack his giant, round ears. His back legs, however, were reduced to two smaller flippers and his snout now had long whiskers. His whole body was also covered in black fur, save the area around his face. He had gone from a mouse to a seal (1).

Depth's form, on the other fin, was more similar to Riku. He had his arms folded across his now (completely) bare chest. His feet had been reduced to a strange, serpentine tail, and he had somehow acquired a black cape that looked like it was fused to his shoulders.

"What's happened to you?" Mickey asked as he paddled over.

Depth, rather than speak, let his actions speak for him. He spread out his cape and moved them to show that they were actually large and wide fins that resembled a manta ray's.

"Figured as much." Depth stated as he looked over his fins.

"So…where's the next map piece?" Riku asked as he summoned the Treasure Seeker. It glowed, spun in a full circle, then stopped and pointed to the west.

"There's our tip. Let's go." Depth grunted as he pulled out his fins and began to swim away, followed by Riku and Mickey.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"So, those three Key-wielders are here?" Morgana asked as she observed the happenings from the interior of an iceberg, "THIS should prove to be interesting…" she then snapped her fingers, "CLOAK! DAGGER!" two manta rays flew from the depths of the ocean to await orders, "Keep an eye on those three!"

The two rays nodded, then vanished beneath the tide.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

In a small city by the sea, stood Xiklub. He looked around in the city in the fog. He scoffed. Nothing here for him to butcher like Ohryx had told him. Ah well. Might as well wait for the map piece to show up…

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

"Strange." Riku said as the group continued swimming through the ocean.

"Picked it up, too, huh?" Depth asked.

"What?" Mickey asked before suddenly realizing what they were talking about, "Nobody's here."

"Last time I was here, this place was flourishing with life." Riku explained, "Now, everyone's just…gone."

"I gathered that LONG before the update, pretty boy." Depth grunted, "No need to remind me."

"Do you get along with ANYONE, Depth?" Riku asked, rhetorically. He already had enough issues with Depth being a former enemy. He then said, before Depth could even make any retort, "I think I should check out what it's like on land."

"Good idea, but there's one problem." Depth stated, "We're water-bound. Go on land and you'll suffocate."

"You're wrong there, Depth." Riku replied. He swam over to the sand bar and crawled onto land. Almost instantly, yellow light surrounded him. Suddenly, Riku was standing on two feet on the beach, clad only in a pair of black trunks.

"What?" Depth asked, both wide-eyed in surprise and ticked off.

"And I'm pretty sure the King can come on, too." Riku added, "Seals ARE somewhat land-based."

"Good point." Mickey said as he crawled onto land like a giant caterpillar.

"So that means I'm stuck here?!" Depth growled through gritted teeth.

"Looks like it." Riku shrugged, "Just keep a lookout to see if any of those Seekers or Heartless turn up in the ocean."

"How the HECK did I end up being a lookout?!" Depth muttered, darkly, before returning to the depths of the ocean.

"Gotta see where the next piece of map is." Riku said, holding Treasure Seeker out. It began to glow and pointed north…right at the town. He then looked over to Mickey, "I…don't think you can get far. I COULD carry you…"

"No thanks." Mickey replied as he began to scoot across the beach like a giant caterpillar.

"O-kay." Riku said as he began walking towards the castle, "But just know that, the way you walk, we could be here an extremely long time."

Mickey paused, took a deep breath through his nose, and then sighed out his mouth. "Well, if there's nothin' better to do."

Riku nodded, then picked up the seal and headed off to the town. The smell of Heartless hung in the air…along with another presence of Darkness. This, however, didn't smell…malevolent.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Xiklub had wandered down the seashore, scanning for anything that could release him of his sheer boredom when something caught his attention. Xiklub came to an all-too-sudden halt, then sniffed the air.

"Someone's here…" the Nobody said, trying to place where he had caught the scent, "Someone I remember…"

Something in Xiklub's mind clicked…something large enough to make him crack his shark-toothed, sadistic smile. He snapped his fingers and several Nobodies of an unknown kind appeared in flurries of white.

"Deal with the Keybladers up here." He commanded, "I've got some business at the seaside."

The unknown Nobodies seemed to understand their master's commands, for the next second, they had vanished. It was like they had never been there.

**Morgana**

The younger and almost as crazed sister of Ursula. She tried to kidnap Ariel's daughter about a year ago and failed. She promised vengeance…and is aimed to take it here and now. She first appeared in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

(1) A seal, not a sea lion. If you paid attention in zoology, you'll know what I'm talking about.


	34. Simultaneous Brawls

Chapter 34: Simultaneous Brawls

Depth looked through the waters as he swam past, each beat of his wings bringing up clouds of sand. Something in his mind sensed that something was not right. He pivoted to get a good look around him…nothing again.

"Something's following me…" he said to himself, "But I can't see anything."

"Up here."

Before Depth could try and recognize the voice, something grabbed Depth by his serpentine tail and with an almighty pull, yanked him clean out of the water. Holding him was Xiklub, standing on a large hunk of rock.

Right now, the Bloodlust Soldier was holding Depth upside-down and leaving him hanging by his limb. On seeing the manta struggle, he let out an insane chuckle.

"Nice to see you again, my new playmate." Xiklub said, his smile showing every one of his shark-like teeth, "I think we still have a score to settle from Radiant Garden!"

Depth, whose body had been altered for ocean life, could no longer breathe air. He gasped as he snarled, trying to remain strong in the face of this monster.

"Feeling short of breath?" Xiklub asked, "Well, how about I give you some?"

Xiklub pulled Depth back like a hammer, then slammed him onto the water's surface. The bald Keybearer managed to get a small breath of water before Xiklub violently pulled him up, then let him dangle again.

"Normally, I would want my rematch to be on equal terms…but you know me. I just couldn't resist watching you suffocate for a while!" Xiklub explained, "But I also can't resist torturing you…"

Xiklub pulled Depth back, then smashed him onto the rock's surface. It took every ounce of strength Depth had to keep himself from roaring in pain. But to make things worse, Xiklub did it again and, this time, a groan escaped from his gritted teeth…along with a trickle of blood that dyed his whites red.

With one final spin, Xiklub went and tossed Depth back into the water. Depth flew like a discus, then landed in the water with a "splash". Depth shook the cobwebs out of his head, then summoned Omega Weapon and surfaced so quickly that he actually jumped out of the water.

"THUNDER!" he shouted.

With a horizontal swipe of the Omega Weapon, a disc of raw energy erupted from the arc of Depth's swipe. The disc spun at Xiklub, who made no effort whatsoever to dodge it. Instead, he simply moved his hand and the ball of electricity bent away as though it had a mind of its own.

It missed Xiklub by a mile, leaving a chuckling Nobody.

"Magnetism." Xiklub said with a smirk, "Something I didn't show you on our previous encounter. But I CLEARLY remember showing you THIS, for I almost slitted your throat with it!"

Xiklub held out his hand and his giant, star-shaped blade appeared in his hand. He then grabbed two handles on each and pulled. The blade split into a set of two dual-sided blades.

With an insane cackle, Xiklub threw one of his dual-blades in a boomerang fashion. The blade whistled through the air only to meet the Omega Weapon in a sharp parry. It spun into the air, seeming to flush Xiklub's plan down the toilet.

Depth kept himself above the surface, his blade at the ready, then made his move…almost. He heard an all-too-familiar whistling noise and turned in time to see the dual-blade spinning right back at him, as though it had a mind of its own.

Depth swiftly submerged himself, the blade spinning just over his head and missing. With a pump of his ray wings, he propelled himself through the water at full speed.

"Keep moving!" Xiklub said, "I WANT THIS TO BE INTERESTING!"

Then, much to Depth's surprise, another dual-blade flew into the water, aimed right at him, then flew at him like a torpedo. Depth, acting on pure instinct, adjusted his angle and leapt right out of the water.

Depth looked forward, then realized that he was getting closer to Xiklub. He landed in the water again, then felt a dangerous presence before turning around. The dual-blade was coming back to intercept him.

Depth wasn't worried, for with a single swing of his Keyblade, he parried it. The dual-blade angled off-course and missed Depth by a mile.

Depth turned back on-course and jumped out at Xiklub. He brought the Omega Weapon Keyblade down with a might roar, ready to take the berserker down.

Xiklub hardly looked worried, for he lifted his hand and spread it. Something emerged from the water while another raced into his hand from the air. With one dual-blade, he blocked Depth's keyblade…and with inhuman strength, too.

"Yes…" Xiklub said, his voice quiet and dangerous, "Magnetism is QUITE the useful power. Yet for some reason, I can't control Keyblades. Haven't figured it out, but at least I can use OTHER things to my advantage.

With strength and speed to blind the eye, Xiklub maneuvered Depth's Keyblade away via one dual-blade and brought the other one across Depth's chest, creating a clean cut through his skin and touching bone. Depth let out a snarl of pain as Xiklub spun on his heel and planted a solid kicked to Depth's face, returning him to the water.

Xiklub laughed as he stood, triumphantly, atop the rock outcropping. "Got to love multi-dimensional weapons." Xiklub explained, "With magnetism, they give you a far greater range of options, unlike that one-trick pony that is YOUR weapon."

Blood was billowing from Depth's wound, and the saltwater was doing nothing but create a searing pain in his chest. Holding in a grunt in pain, he held his Keyblade up.

"HEAL!" he grumbled. Green light surrounded Depth as his chest wound mended like a zipper being zipped up. The searing pain left swiftly, and Depth let out a sigh with every hint of satisfaction. "Never thought magic could come in use. I always polished my enemies off before they even know what happened."

"What? Are you already finished?" Xiklub asked with another insane cackle, "It was just getting fun!"

Depth simply growled. This would be SO MUCH easier if he could get on land. But at times like this, there was only one thing he could do: improvise.

"Never thought I'd have to do THIS to scum like you, but it looks like I don't have much choice." Depth growled as he held out his Keyblade, "I'll show you everything I've got…for only a second. OMEGA WEAPON! RELEASE!"

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

Riku walked through the town while carrying King Mickey like an infant. While not necessarily comfortable, it was convenient, as Mickey's form wasn't entirely suited for land-based travel.

Upon further investigation, Riku noticed that the town was as deserted as the ocean was. What would have been a hustling-and-bustling bazaar had turned into a ghost town.

"Where'd everybody go?" the Dark Key-wielder asked.

"I wish I could tell you." Mickey replied, then spotted something and turned. In the window was a woman, but it was only a glimpse, for she swiftly closed the windows. "My best guess is that something's here that shouldn't be."

Riku looked down at the king, then answered with a nod. Suddenly, something reached his nostrils. Riku had always possessed the ability to smell dark beings and discern whether they were malevolent. This was a mixed scent; while one smelled grotesque and evil, one scent was benevolent and…unique. There was no other word for it.

Riku didn't have much time to ponder on the scent for, in no time flat, flurries of an unknown matter flashed in front of them. And in that short span of time, Nobodies emerged from the depths of the abyss.

But these Nobodies were not simple Dusks or of any species that Riku had seen before. They were…HUGE, size second only to the giant Twilight Thorn at over eight feet tall. Peach-colored armor covered their white bodies, which were packed with muscles, and their arms were so long that they scraped the ground. THESE were Battler Nobodies.

A total of five of these behemoths stood before them, towering over them like monsters.

"DANG!" Riku swore as he summoned Treasure Seeker and…dropped Mickey, "Sorry, Mickey."

"It happens." Mickey replied as he tried to get into a position to see the Battlers a bit easier…and couldn't. The rodent King then said, "I think we found the reason why nobody's out on the town."

"Guess we've gotta take 'em down now…" Riku said with a smirk as he jumped at a Battler. The Keyblade made contact, but bounced off, harmlessly. The Battler then sent a punch into Riku, sending the Dark Keywielder flying and landing half a mile away, creating a crater and a puff of dust about three feet tall when he hit the ground.

Mickey summoned his version of Kingdom Key and…found that holding it in this form would be difficult, considering his new form had no useable limbs to hold it with.

"This is gonna be tough…" he said to himself.

Riku sped back and jumped up at a Battler, which evaded the next strike and delivered a punch strong enough Riku into the ground.

"DARK FIRAGA!" Riku shouted from under the Nobody's fist. The force of the blast caused the Battler's fist to fly up and Riku took that opportunity to jump up and deliver a series of slashes. Other than mildly dent the Nobody's armor, it did no real damage whatsoever.

"BLAST!" Mickey shouted as he held his Keyblade (albeit uneasily) in his front flippers. A ball of blue energy flew out of his Keyblade and, the minute it made contact with the Battler's armor, it exploded. The entire left side of its peach breastplate shattered like glass. Riku saw this and jumped over to the exposed piece of Nobody essence and drove his Keyblade into it.

The Battler screeched in pain as the Keyblade went straight through it and it vanished in a flurry of nothingness.

"Looks like we've gotta shatter their armor." Mickey said.

"And there's about four left." Riku said before grunting, "Perfect…"

Another Battler moved forward, then raised its mighty hand to swat both Mickey and Riku like flies. But before it could so much as try to bring its hand down, something reached from the shadows, grabbed Riku and Mickey, and dragged them into a portal.

**Battler**

Huge, muscle-bound Nobodies that are the tallest species known, trailing just behind the Twilight Thorn. Thanks to their sheer size, strength, and unusual maneuverability, they are almost impossible to take down. To defeat a Battler requires strength and patience and to attack their vulnerable midsections.

Special Thanks to Captain A for the Nobody designs…


	35. Infiltration

Chapter 35: Infiltration

Riku and Mickey never knew what really happened: one minute, they were fighting a few eight-foot Nobodies. The next minute, they were in an alleyway that could have been miles away from where they started.

"You draw too much attention to yourself." A voice said.

Riku turned in surprise and summoned the Way to Dawn only to meet an odd weapon of sorts. It looked sort of like a sword, but its hilt was slightly longer and its blade slightly shorter. It all-in-all looked like a cross between a short sword and a small polearm.

The figure holding this weapon was a man clad in dark armor. Riku could tell it was a man by his broad-shouldered build. At first glance, one would probably mistake him for a Heartless with the bright eyes, blue tracings on the armor's outlines, and the fearsome-looking horns and spikes.

"Who are you?" Riku asked, his voice on edge.

"Lower your weapon." The man ordered, "I mean you no harm."

Riku hesitated, then heaved a reluctant sigh and lowered Way to Dawn. The man sheathed his lance, then spoke again.

"My name is Cecil Harvey: secret agent of Radiant Garden." He introduced, "I was on my way back, but my warp drive malfunctioned and I ended up here. Now that I think about it, I think it's a good thing I landed here."

Riku suddenly realized that this Cecil guy was trying to save this world. And, guessing that Cecil had been here a rather long time, Riku took a leap of faith and asked a question.

"Do you have any idea where everyone is?"

Cecil nodded. "Yes. Thanks to this armor, the Heartless almost pass me off as one of their own."

Mickey hummed, as though getting the picture. "I can understand why."

"Didn't you hear me say 'almost'?" Cecil asked, though he was oddly patient with his statement, "I can go undetected by them as long as I stay like this. But I can only harm them in a way that WILL get their attention."

Riku thought it over in his head. So, when this guy COULD harm the Heartless, he'd be detected and outnumbered thousands to one.

"Back to the problem at hand; the townsfolk are all indoors, hiding from the Heartless. The ocean-dwellers, I believe, are hiding in deeper water." Cecil said, getting back to business, "And, from what I've seen in the Heartless behavior, they're the most numerous near that castle."

Cecil pointed to a white castle in the distance, which was crawling with Heartless like some kind of parasites. Then Riku remembered a certain sea-witch that was here the last time he and his friends paid Atlantica a visit.

"Morgana…"

"What?" Cecil asked.

"Morgana." Riku repeated, "I've been here before and she was the one controlling the Heartless. If we find her, we can take care of these Heartless much easier."

"I had that idea for a while, but with security of this scale, it is anything BUT easy to get in." Cecil explained, "But maybe two people have a better chance of getting in than one…"

"Well, you can kinda count me out." Mickey said, downheartedly, "I can't really fight in this form unless I'm underwater."

Riku thought about the situation. King Mickey had a point; flippers, though excellent to have in water, were a handicap on land.

"Okay, your Majesty, you can sit this one out. But maybe you should try to find Depth and give him a hand." Riku suggested.

On receiving a nod from Mickey, Cecil lifted a hand and a portal of darkness appeared in front of Mickey. Slightly surprised, Mickey got over it in no time and crawled into it. The water awaited him, after all…

"Now that he's in his natural element, I'll warp us to the castle as close as I can." Cecil said, then formed a dark portal in front of them.

"Wait, you have a limit?" Riku asked, a bit confused.

"Unfortunately." Cecil answered, "Something in the castle can see me if I try to warp in and block me with a horde of Heartless. So, stealth is our best option…"

With that, Cecil disappeared into the portal and Riku ALMOST followed. The reason being that, a split-second later, Cecil came out with a coat of sorts in hand. It looked similar to the one that DiZ gave him long ago, only it was gray instead of black.

"Take this." Cecil said, throwing it to Riku, "I can't imagine that walking around in just a pair of shorts can be comfortable."

Riku looked himself over and realized that Cecil was right. This WAS uncomfortable.

"Good point."

Mickey found himself back in the water and the fact that he could move much easier down here made it feel good to be on land. To test his newfound maneuverability, he did a few backflips in the water and propelled himself with a simple movement of his back flippers.

Wanting to test a little more, he summoned his Keyblade in his flipper and took a few swings. He could fight like this in no time flat…because water was where a seal felt most at home.

"Well, that certainly…"

CRASH!

Mickey started and turned to the source of the noise. Not seeing much, he swam up to the surface and looked around.

What he saw surprised him.

A purple-haired, shark-toothed man with a star-blade of sorts was currently hopping from rock-to-rock. He would occasionally thrust one of the blades of his weapon into the water. The next second, the man would jump off the rock which would explode into pebbles.

Wanting a better explanation, Mickey submerged again and took another look around. He saw the source in no time.

Depth now had a new Keyblade. The Omega symbol, rather than form sharp teeth of the Keyblade, had now formed a bone-crushing, axe-like blade on the top with electricity pulsing around it…which he was using to chase Xiklub.

"Oh, THIS is far longer than a second, wouldn't you say?" Xiklub asked with a cackle, "Guess I'm stronger than you originally figured."

SMASH! Depth had swung his Keyblade at the rock, shattering it into tiny, little pebbles

"Not quite." Depth deadpanned, "I'm barely even trying."

Mickey then got a closer look at Depth and saw that a crimson tattoo was patterned onto his bald head, the bottom part of the symbol ending at his eyebrows.

"THUNDAGA!" he shouted as he brought the blade of his new Key down. A disc of raw energy flew out of the swing's arc…but was blocked by Xiklub's hand.

"Don't you know that magnetism and electricity are closely related?" the berserker asked as the disc dissipated in his palm, "Blocking it is all too easy."

"How about this, then?"

Xiklub turned at the squeaky voice, then raised his star blade to block Mickey's oncoming Keyblade. The mouse-turned-seal had sprung out of the water like a dolphin and took a swing at the bulky Nobody. However, Xiklub's star blade immediately came to block the blow and swing it out of Mickey's mouth. He then swung his other blade…only for it to be intercepted by Depth's Keyblade.

"How about I show you what this thing can REALLY do?!" Depth snarled as he stabbed with his blade. Xiklub blocked, but energy began to gather in the Keyblade's tip, "Did you think my Keyblade can ONLY use Thundaga? It's just my preference. I CAN use other spells with it. FIRAGA!"

A burst of fire the size of a watermelon erupted from the Keyblade and sent Xiklub into the water as a smoking wreck. He resurfaced only in time to see Depth speeding towards him. The manta-man pulled back his blade and slammed it as hard as he could into Xiklub, who could only raise his star blade to block.

The sheer impact of the Omega Weapon sent Xiklub rocketing backward. The Nobody flew back faster than a bullet and proceeded to smash into the rocky shore with a more-than-audible CRASH.

As Depth remained in his position, panting from exhaustion, he cracked a smile…until the dust from Xiklub's impact settled. Xiklub, though heavily injured, was still alive. Using his star blade as leverage, Xiklub heaved himself up to his feet.

"Hehehehe…" the Bloodlust Soldier wheezed, "Well…that was-hehe-most impressive. And, as fun as it would be to continue this fight, I think it would be even better if I was at full strength. So…until next time, playmate."

And with a vortex of darkness, Xiklub had vanished entirely.

Depth grunted in disdain, then turned to face King Mickey as the Omega tattoo faded from his brow and the Omega Weapon returned to its original form.

"What was that?" Mickey asked.

Mickey didn't get a response as Depth closed his eyes and began to slowly descend towards the bottom of the ocean. Mickey immediately sped towards Depth's drifting form and caught him. How the mouse was able to hold up a guy almost five times his size…even he didn't know.

"What could cause him to just pass out like that?" Mickey asked. From what he heard, Depth was probably one of the toughest people in the Keyblade Order. Passing out for him was pretty much the definition of impossible.

Depth was certainly going to do some explaining when he woke up.

Riku and Cecil emerged from the portal and saw that they were just a football-field away from the Castle.

"My apologies, but this is as far as I can get to the castle." Cecil apologized, "Any further and the source of these Heartless will spot me."

"Don't worry," Riku assured, "Knowing the Heartless, we could get past them with ease…"

Riku turned the corner of a cottage and found, to his surprise, that the Heartless seemed prepared for all this. A new kind had emerged from the shadows.

The most noticeable feature about these Heartless were their eyes, which were the size of car headlights. Their heads were also abnormally large and a light from their large eyes made them seem like some kind of searchlight. Their bodies, however, were thin and spindly. Obviously these guys weren't meant to fight so much as they were to detect and alert.

These were known as Searcher Heartless.

"Care to rephrase that?" Cecil asked, obviously irritated by this all-too sudden change of events.

Riku didn't answer, instead, running across the hall, ducking behind a wall as one of the Searchers walked past. Its searchlight-esque eyes roamed past the wall. Upon not seeing anything, it continued on its way. Riku then motioned for Cecil to follow him. Cecil quickly darted across the room.

"What is this?" Cecil asked, "A cheap, video-game knock-off?"

"Funny you should ask." Riku simply said, but the two soon took off as a Searcher's lamp-like eyes moved away.

The two began to catch their breath as they hid behind another pillar. Unfortunately, they didn't know that this pillar was on the path of one of the Searchers.

"Oh, CRAP!" Riku swore as one rounded the corner and saw it.

Immediately, its eyes turned red and it began to emit a strange, whistling noise. Before it could get much further than that, Cecil pulled back his polearm and threw it like a javelin. The weapon whistled through the air and impaled the Heartless, causing it to vanish in a puff of smoke and the whistling ended.

"Well, it's a safe guess that Morgana knows we're here." Cecil said, grimly, then summoned his lance back in his hand.

The two exchanged looks that pretty much said the same thing: 'THIS is gonna be tough…'. They then continued on their way.

Mickey gasped as he got above water, barely managing to keep Depth from sinking. He made an almighty heave and managed to get his body onto the beach, but keeping Depth in as much water as possible in the shallows. Depth emitted a low grumble before slowly opening his eyes. He shot up and tried to struggle, but (considering he didn't have feet) simply flailed around.

"WHA-WHERE AM I?!" he roared as he pulled out his Keyblade.

"Depth, CALM DOWN." Mickey said, trying to do persuade the future Keywielder to do just that.

Depth took a deep breath before his facial features, once again, became solid as rock.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You fought Xiklub and passed out." Mickey replied, "But…why did that happen? Your Keyblade was different and you had a tattoo on your face. What was with that?"

Depth kept his gaze on Mickey, then answered, "Now's not the time to explain that."

"So, I trust that you'll explain later?" Mickey asked.

"MUCH later." Depth deadpanned, "NOW, we've gotta find that piece of map."

"Riku and someone named Cecil went to get it." Mickey reported.

"Perfect." Depth murmured. He knew that he and Mickey had no hand in this

Cecil ran another Heartless through with his lance as Riku sliced another in half with Way to Dawn. The two had barely made it into the castle, hoping things would be easier.

They hadn't counted on these Searchers being IN the castle as well as OUTSIDE it.

"Y'know, I don't think our job's getting any easier." Cecil grunted.

"Considering that Heartless went off, I didn't think you'd be surprised." Riku muttered. He shot a Dark Firaga at another Heartless as it appeared, "How far are we from the main throne room?"

"It should probably be just down the hall." Cecil replied.

The two then walked down and opened the door. But both kept a good hand on their weapons

"What? No Heartless?" Cecil asked, though he was obviously relieved.

"Don't be so sure of that, boys." Replied a familiar voice. The two were facing a familiar, green sea witch. She smirked before saying, "Well, well. Glad to see you've returned, Riku."

"Feeling's not so mutual." Riku replied. He pulled out his Keyblade as he asked, "One thing's still bugging me—how'd you manage to take over? I thought that trident would keep you at bay."

"Well…let's just say that I had some help." Morgana replied, "That sadist in the cloak for one."

"Sadist in a cloak?" Riku asked before sudden realization dawned on his face, "You mean you got help from the Seekers?"

"Riku, what're you talking about?" Cecil asked, his grip not weakening on his weapon.

"You're right, honey." Morgana replied, "Not that it will help you. I've found something interesting…"

Morgana stretched out her hand and a small group of Shadow Heartless appeared. At first, Riku and Cecil thought it was something they could take out in no time…

But then something new happened.

The jittery, little Heartless distorted and molded together, becoming like a giant churning orb of black liquid. For a few tense moments, Riku and Cecil could only watch in shock, and then the unthinkable happened: tendrils of the darkmatter shot out, attached to Morgana's body and began to slowly suck out the dark matter."

"That Nobody showed me a lot…like how I can MERGE my body with the Heartless!" Morgana boasted as the dark matter turned her green skin black.

"That's sick…" Cecil said, feeling oddly nauseous.

Morgana, her transformation complete, looked herself over and decided to test something. With just a mere thought, her arm pulsed and sprouted eight tentacles similar to those of a squid.

"KILL THEM!" she ordered.

"Not good…" Cecil growled.

A tentacle of darkmatter lashed out at him and the dark knight's reflexes were enough to jump over a tentacle in one bound. He spun his lance, then brought it down hard on the appendage, but much to his disdain and knowledge, he did no damage whatsoever.

Riku quickly got in front of him, parrying another tentacle of darkness with Way to Dawn. He chopped at it with all his might, barely doing any scratch.

"Silly boy." Morgana taunted, "My arm is pure darkness and the way you use it, you can't do anything against it."

More tentacles followed Riku as he slashed, wildly. Nothing he did seemed to get through them, a hack like an axe or a slash like a samurai sword, NOTHING did anything to them.

Morgana tried to sweep the ground to trip them up, but Riku jumped over it, as did Cecil. Cecil then brought his foot slamming into the ground as purple flame engulfed the immediate area around him.

The flames scorched the tentacles, but like last time, they proved ineffective against such concentrated darkness. And by the time Cecil realized this mistake, he was halfway across the room as a tentacle of shadow swatted him across the room.

Riku, an idea springing to his mind, reached into a pouch and pulled out one of the Summon Charms that Mandy had supplied them with: the one with a robotic face on it.

"BUMBLEBEE!" he shouted.

In a flash of light and the roar of an engine, a yellow 2008 Camarro with racing stripes rode in. In a burst of moving parts, it shifted into a twelve-foot-tall robot. Bumblebee held up his fists, then picked up Riku and placed him on its shoulder.

Cannons emerged from Bumblebee's shoulder and his hand also turned into a blaster of sorts. Bumblebee aimed his arm-cannon and fired a burst of energy at Morgana and, to everyone's surprise, the cannon actually did something. It blew a piece of darkness off her, revealing her true self underneath it.

Morgana lashed out with a tentacle, but Bumblebee jumped clean into the air and performed a complex leap over the lashing tendril: a feat that was amazing, especially for a giant like this. When Bumblebee came down, he blasted one tentacle, putting a sizeable wound in it and crushed another one with his foot.

As Morgana began a series of whip-like attacks, Bumblebee rolled across the ground and upon finishing it, he turned into a flurry of shifting parts. When the shifting ended, he was back in his Camarro form with Riku in the driver's seat. And the Autobot was speeding past a barrage of whiplashes.

Bumblebee shifted back into his robot form, then took a hold of Riku and took careful aim before lobbing him at Morgana. Bumblebee, at possibly the worst of times, saluted and made his exit back to his homeworld.

Riku flew through the air like a missile, then pulled back his fist before driving it into Morgana's face.

At that point, he realized that what he was doing was both brave AND stupid. The punch had done absolutely nothing to her darkened form.

"Slow learner, aren't we?" Morgana asked, then smirked as more tentacles sprung up to wrap themselves around Riku's arms, legs, midsection, and neck "You and your friend have focused so much on just one path to travel. You only used that path, but when you met someone who's so far advanced into darkness, you're clearly outmatched."

She tightened her grip on Riku's neck, causing him to strain in pain. She then brought him in closer and asked, "Now, this would be an ideal time to surrender.

"I hate to ruin this moment," Morgana turned to meet the dark form of Cecil, who was still standing and was currently sheathing his lance. "But Darkness isn't the only path I've wandered…"

Cecil held up a hand and suddenly vanished in a burst of light, causing both Riku and Morgana to shield their eyes. When the light cleared, a new form stood before them, causing both of them to stare in surprise.

The dark-armored figure was now gone, instead replaced with a young man with flowing, white hair, somewhat-pale skin, and pearly-white armor complete with a cape. The lance was mysteriously absent, instead replaced with a dazzling sword.

THIS was a completely new thing. At least, that was what Riku thought. And at that point, he realized what Cecil had meant by 'having a method to kill them'.

"I wield the great balance of Light and Darkness." Cecil explained.

The knight twirled his sword, then flew forward faster than the eye could perceive and proceeded to cut through the dark tentacles binding Riku like a butcher knife through a tortilla. sliced at a tentacle, severing it in an instant.

Morgana cried out in surprise and looked up at Cecil, who was now suspended in the air, cape flowing behind him, despite there not being any wind.

"Care to try again, Riku?" Cecil asked.

Riku nodded, then called out, "CECIL!"

"Beneath the Light…" Cecil grabbed Riku's forearm, then sent him rocketing at Morgana, or at least behind her. Riku, for some reason, was actually flying in a manner similar to Cecil.

Both made their move as they raced at Morgana from opposite sides.

"Darkness!" Riku said, then both made their move.

Riku jammed Way to Dawn into Morgana as wreaths of dark fire flowed from his body and washed her over.

"COMES JUDGMENT!" Cecil roared.

"WRAITH OF ANGUISH!" Riku added.

The Dark flame coiled down Morgana's body like a serpent, and when it reached the floor, Cecil dove at Morgana, dragging her enlarged, Heartless-powered form into the air. One last move of his shining blade was enough to send her careening out the window.

Morgana flew out of the castle, her Heartless form dissipating like a deactivated Barrier, and landed in the ocean. The sea witch shook the cobwebs out of her head, but was just about to find some place to plot revenge when someone spoke up.

"I WOULD attack,"

Morgana turned in surprise to see a bald manta-ray guy standing right in front of her. And the fact that he was close enough to punch her helped nothing.

"But my previous scrap took a lot out of me." Depth stated, "So, someone else will be willing to do the honors…?"

"Wha?"

That was all Morgana had to say because the Manta moved to the side as a small, black seal came rushing up to her with a Keyblade in its flipper. Said seal spoke, which would have been odd to anyone. But in Atlantica, talking sea creatures were not the least bit rare.

"LIGHT!"

A beam of light shot from the Keyblade's tip and hit Morgana full in the face before sending her flying out of the water and landing far, FAR away. Mickey sighed as he dismissed his Keyblade. Depth just snorted.

He could've sent her farther.

Back at the castle, Riku and Cecil were searching the castle grounds. If there were any prisoners or people in hiding here, they had to know of Morgana's defeat.

"Hello?" Riku called, "Anyone here?"

Cecil, on the other hand, kept a wary eye on the hallways they were passing. If there was an enemy in hiding or a small clue as to where these people were hiding, it would need immediate attention.

Cecil's eyes suddenly fell on something dead ahead: a doorway that was slightly ajar.

"Over there." Cecil said, catching Riku's attention.

Riku noticed the jarred door then slowly approached it. He opened it, then made his way inside, ready for anything that could be on the other side.

Cecil kept his sword at the ready, until Riku came out with a red-haired woman, slung over his shoulder in exhaustion.

"It's okay." Riku said, coaxing the woman, "Everything's gone now." Upon seeing Cecil's curious expression, he quickly explained, "This is the real queen of this world: Ariel. Morgana had captured her when she took the kingdom."

Cecil sheathed his sword, then asked, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah. Morgana had been starving her, but she should be fine in due time." Riku answered, "There are others in that room. Maybe you should take care of them…"

"Right away." Cecil said with a nod, then headed into the room.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OH

A few minutes later, Ariel and her husband Eric were freed along with their daughter Melody.

"Thank you very much, Riku." Ariel said with a nod, "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come back."

"We're in your debt for this." Eric added, "Twice now, you've saved us."

"Hey, give some credit to Cecil here." Riku said, jerking his head to the knight, "He helped us get this far."

Cecil kneeled, a gesture of honor, then said, "All in the safety of you, your people, and your land."

Riku was about to get his friend back up when his Keyblade suddenly jerked to the right. In no time, it had shifted to the gilded Treasure Seeker and had pointed out a window that gave a viewpoint to the ocean.

"What's going on?!" Ariel exclaimed.

A beam of light flew from the Treasure Seeker's tip and struck a giant clam out in the great ocean of the world. The bivalve slowly opened up and a piece of parchment flew out of its mouth, racing along the light like a puppet on a line.

The minute it came within reach of Riku's arm, the dark-wielder caught it in his outstretched hand.

"Riku, I think you have some explaining to do." Cecil stated.

Riku looked around: Ariel and Eric were also expecting some sort of explanation.

"Fine." Riku sighed before explaining, long-story-short style.

Cecil didn't talk at all during the whole thing, nodding if he was understanding one point. Riku explained everything: the Seekers that they faced, why they were after this map, and what would happen if they should fail.

And when Riku finished speaking, he silently awaited the knight's answer.

"Well, this is something that cannot be ignored." Cecil said, his voice stern, "Do you think I could accompany you and your friends for a while? My ship is done for, so I have no way of getting off this world."

"Alright." Riku said. He began to walk away, but stopped, "Hey, Cecil."

"Yes?" Cecil asked.

"You have powers of both light AND darkness?" Riku asked.

"Yes." Cecil replied.

"Could you teach me to do that?" Riku asked.

Cecil thought for a few moments before saying, "I will. But I must warn you that acquiring the powers of both sides is far from an easy task. You'll be in for some serious training."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take to take care of my problem." Riku said, making a small (and short) bow. He pulled out a Gummi Caller and pressed a button.

"Your ship?" Cecil asked.

"Yeah." Riku replied. The Gummi then beamed the two inside the castle and the two in the ocean up.

Cecil Harvey

A member of the Restoration Committee (which side is unknown). He was passing Atlantica when his ship conked out and he decided to fight off the current Heartless invasion. He's a loyal friend who believes strongly in team-work and staying together. He's armed with the powers of both light AND dark. He first appeared in Final Fantasy IV.

**Bumblebee**

An Autobot from the planet Cybertron. Whenever Riku calls, he'll lend him a hand by changing from Robot to Vehicle and using a wide variety of rockets and cannons. He first appeared in Transformers.

**Ariel**

Formerly a mermaid and the princess of Atlantica, she gave up her life in the sea to live with the man she loved. She had become prisoner of Morgana, but with the help of Riku and Cecil, she was able to escape. She first appeared in The Little Mermaid.

**Eric**

A prince of a kingdom on the land and the one who snared the heart of Ariel. He had been prisoner of Morgana, but with the help of Riku and Cecil, he was freed to rule his world once more. He first appeared in The Little Mermaid.

Bumblebee's Mechanized Melee.


	36. Xoral

Chapter 36: Xoral

Agrabah…

"HOO BOY!" Ryan whooped as he dashed around the dunes of Agrabah, "I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS MUCH SUN IN A WHILE! Destiny Island is good and all, BUT THIS IS A MILLION BETTER!"

"I forgot how MUCH of a hyperfreak he is…" Donald murmured.

"I haven't even known him that long and, already, it's annoying." Mandy agreed.

"Just somethin' ya gotta get used to." Goofy explained, "He's still gettin' the hang of this sun-stuff."

The hyperfreak, Key-wielder, knight, and wizard had landed in a small patch of desert just outside the city of Agrabah. Ryan came, skidding to a halt.

"So, where's that key pointin'?" Ryan asked, looking over Mandy's shoulder.

"If you gave me enough space to breath, I'll tell you." Many replied before flinging the back of her hand into Ryan's face. The hyperfreak stared, wide-eyed, before slumping to the ground.

"First I get stuck with J punching me, NOW I'm stuck with her SLAPPING me." Ryan said, his face still stuck in the same expression, "What's next? Sora starts kicking me?"

Mandy summoned her Treasure Seeker, after putting some space between her and the other three. It immediately began to glow and pointed towards the east, further into the desert.

"Looks like we've got a LONG ride in store for us." Donald moaned. The duck was never fond of long journeys, especially ones that involved scorching heat, mirages, and extreme thirst.

"Well, I can make it there in no time flat." Ryan grinned, spotting a time to shine, "I could find that map piece and be back before you could say…"

"Hey, YOU!" called someone. The Peddler immediately raced over with a disgruntled look on his face, "I remember you from a year ago! You stole a VERY valuable necklace from me!"

"Ryan!" Mandy gasped with a playful smirk, "I never KNEW you would be capable of such felony!"

Ryan gulped. He couldn't return the necklace to the Peddler because said item had turned out to be a Pure Heart, which turned out to be important in the terms of saving the world. It was back in Agrabah, but probably in some other place far, far away.

"Well…the thing is…" Ryan said, uneasily. He then zipped over and grabbed Donald and Mandy in one arm and grabbed Goofy's pants in the other, "I'M OUTTA HERE!"

Ryan then took off at barely-subsonic speed towards the area that Mandy's Keyblade had been pointing to. The Peddler pursued them, but quickly fell behind.

"You'll be back!" The Peddler said, hopping up and down in rage, "I KNOW YOU WILL!"

"Did you HAVE to grab me like that?!" Mandy demanded.

"Well, it was kinda the 'spur of the moment' deal." Ryan replied. Mandy's response was to punch Ryan in the face. Ryan fell to the ground and mumbled, "JUST like with J…"

"Guys?" Donald asked.

"Not now." Ryan growled before standing up and summoning a pair of solar-energy balls in his hands. He wheeled over to Mandy, "If it wasn't for ME, you'd still be a few miles back!"

"If it wasn't for YOU, we wouldn't have that midget ticked at us!" Mandy shot back.

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A-"

"DON'T CALL ME A-"

"WAAAK!" Donald squawked before causing a Thundaga spell to strike in the small patch of sand between the two, separating them in an instant and turning the sand into glass. "We have a JOB to do! So, NO FIGHTING!" the duck quacked angrily.

Ryan and Mandy growled before turning on their heels and emitting a very audible 'humph' at each other.

"Well, at least they're not fightin'." Goofy said, trying to be optimistic. But in the end, he slumped forward and shook his head, "Oh, who am I kiddin'? This is a bad way to start things off."

"I'll settle for what quiet we can get." Donald sighed before saying, "Mandy, the Treasure Seeker?"

Mandy, while making no eye contact with Ryan, summoned her Keyblade. It immediately pointed to the east.

"The same way it was pointing before." Donald said, flatly, then shook it off, "Ryan, run us over there."

"Fine, but SHE has to hitch-hike." Ryan stated, jabbing his thumb at Mandy.

Mandy apparently heard him, for she turned on him and asked, "Oh and if you lose your way, how'll you get back on track?"

"DIDN'T I JUST TELL YOU TO STOP FIGHTING?!" Donald shouted.

No too far away, a cloaked figure was watching the two arguing. And right now, he was enjoying every minute of it: it was like watching a cartoon.

"If that's what we're up against, then I think we've got a pretty decent chance of beating 'em." He snickered, "Now…where was I?"

The figure then pulled out a pendulum and looked into it, observing his reflection: not a penny out of place.

"Oh boy, lookin' good…"

"YOU'RE SHORT!" Mandy barked.

"YOU'RE WHINY!" Ryan shot back.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Donald squawked.

"Uh…fellers?" Goofy asked.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME!" Ryan shouted.

"WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T ACT LIKE KING OF THE UNIVERSE ALL THE TIME!" Mandy shouted.

"I WORKED VERY HARD TO GET WHERE I AM!" Ryan barked.

"'HARD WORK', YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HARD WORK-" Mandy shouted.

"I WAS FROZEN TODAY!" Ryan interrupted.

"No you weren't." Mandy simply said.

"Oh wait, no that WASN'T today." Ryan nodded, "That was yesterday."

"Fellers!" Goofy yelled. Once he had FINALLY gotten everyone's attention, he said, calmly, "Someone's watchin' us from over there."

The group looked over to see a man in a black cloak, apparently observing his reflection in a blade of sorts.

"Do ya think he's one of those Seekers you told me about?" Mandy asked.

"One way to find out." Ryan shrugged as he flew over and landed next to the man with a cloak, "Excuse me, are you a Seeker?"

Donald and Mandy then slapped their foreheads. The sun must have gotten to Ryan's head by now.

"Huh? Wha-?!" the man shouted, obviously started.

The Seeker wheeled over and the hood of his cloak flew off to show that he could only have been a couple of years older than Ryan—sixteen or seventeen at least and with a patch of blonde hair and orange eyes. He almost looked like Ryan if he had aged a few years.

"Uh…yeah, I'm a Seeker and you're…" the Seeker then pulled out a slip of paper, "One of those guys I was supposed to take out."

"Hoo boy." Ryan moaned before asking, "Well, as a person…or Nobody…or whatever—WHO THE HECK ARE YA?!"

"If you won't sleep until ya find out," the Seeker replied with an exasperated sigh, "My name is Xoral, Number XI of the Seekers, also known as the Sun Prince."

"Sun Prince?" Ryan asked.

"I think you'll find out VERY soon." Xoral replied as he thrust out his hand and showed that the pendulum was attached to a chain, "Now, LET'S DANCE!"

Xoral then extended his weapon and began to spin it over his head to create a golden field of chain and blade. Each whirl whistled through the air, indicating that this was a particularly heavy and fast-moving blade.

"Crud." Ryan swore as Xoral swung the pendulum at Ryan.

Ryan immediately sidestepped to the left, the golden blade of the pendulum coming down centimeters from his foot. The blade immediately jerked back to its master with a flick of Xoral's wrist and he spun his weapon over his head again, but then did some kind of complex spin before swinging it a second time, this one in a horizontal slash. Ryan jumped up and immediately began hovering before flying around Xoral with rapid speed.

"Who're ya tryin' to confuse?" asked a familiar voice. Ryan turned around just in time to see Xoral thrust out his hand and a burst of yellow energy erupt from his palm.

Ryan was sent straight through a sand dune and landed about ten yards from the battle-grounds.

"Ow." Ryan moaned as he stood up, "What hit me?" Ryan then remembered WHY he was in a heap in the sand—"Xoral!"

Balls of solar energy appeared in Ryan's hands as he flew off towards Xoral. The Sun Prince looked around and saw Ryan speeding right towards him.

"Oh, crud…" Xoral swore as Ryan shoved one of the solar balls into his gut before throwing the other at close-range. The blast sent Ryan backwards, but caused a lot of pain to Xoral.

"The pain…" Xoral groaned as he stood up, "So, you're like me…only you can fly. In THAT case…"

Xoral pulled out his pendulum and swung it around a couple times before kicking the blade at Ryan. The hyperfreak evaded the attack with a simple sidestep.

"Missed!" Ryan teased as he put his thumb to his nose and wiggling his other fingers.

"Don't count on it!" Xoral countered before charging the chain of his pendulum with solar energy and swinging it around.

Ryan barely had time to remove his hand from his face before the chained blade immediately wrapped itself around Ryan, causing burns to spring up around his skin, "Can't stand the heat? Don't mess with the Seekers! Remember-"

A small bullet then hit Xoral in the back of the head before exploding into blue smoke. The Sun Prince immediately wheeled around to see, to his surprise, a blue-skinned Clint Eastwood.

"You feelin' lucky, punk?" he asked before changing into a large, blue man with a small, black ponytail, a black beard, and a red sash above a pair of dark-blue pants. THIS was the Genie of the Lamp. He looked over and immediately saw Ryan tied-up and burning, "Hold on, buddy! I'll help ya!"

Genie flicked his finger before causing the chain of the pendulum to disintegrate.

"HEY! THAT'S A GOOD CHAIN!" Xoral shouted, looking at what pieces of his weapon were left.

"RYAN, OL' BUDDY!" Genie exclaimed before zipping over to Ryan and embracing him in a bone-shattering hug, "HOW LONG'S IT BEEN SINCE I LAST SAW YOU? DAYS? WEEKS? MONTHS? YEARS? DECADES?!"

"Only a year…" Ryan moaned via lack of oxygen and pressure on his burns, "But…you're crushing me AND I'm burned!"

"Oh, sorry." Genie apologized before setting Ryan down.

"It's okay." Ryan grinned before playfully slugging Genie on the shoulder, "Now, let's give that Seeker a long, merciless whooping!"

Ryan jumped up to try and fly, but immediately crashed into the sand.

"I thought you could FLY." Xoral said, "Why'd you suddenly…" Xoral then noticed that the sun was setting and smirked, "Oh, you're a SOLAR-POWERED superhuman. Well, guess what?" Xoral immediately sped off and kicked Ryan in the gut, "I don't share such a disadvantage."

"Well, guess what? Neither am I!" Genie replied as he summoned his mock Keyblade and belting Xoral over the head.

"OW!" Xoral yelped, "What the heck are you?!"

"I'll tell ya. I'm-" Genie immediately changed into Arnold Schwartzenegger and flexed his muscles, "The ever impressive…" Genie then poofed into a tight-looking cube, "The long-contained…" Genie then poofed out and summoned a ventriloquist's dummy version of himself, "The often imitated…but NEVER replicated, the one, THE ONLY! GENIE OF THE LAMP!"

Xoral stared at this over-the-top introduction, questioning Genie's mental stability, before asking, "Was that entirely necessary?"

Genie gave a small chuckle before saying, "No."

"Genie, I could use some help here…" Ryan said as he staggered up. Sunset drained him of his energy.

"Oh, right." Genie said, apologetically and, in a puff of multicolored smoke, he had taken the form of an anchorman.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to GNN, the Genie News Network. And I predict that things are going to get VERY sunny today." Genie said in a stereotypical Newscaster Voice.

After said imitation, Genie flew into the air and changed into a giant, blue orb with a face and was currently releasing torrents of light. Somehow, he had turned into a miniature sun, albeit a blue one…

Ryan immediately began to perk like someone who was having a sugar rush. Genie had obviously started to give off sunlight, but it was obviously a different kind of sunlight. Maybe the fact that it was created by magic had something to do with it…

"What, are you having a seizure?" Xoral asked, an eyebrow raised.

Ryan then began to spin around like a whirlwind before taking off in a streak of crimson. After speeding around, Ryan finally came to an immediate stop in front of Xoral with an extremely jittery-looking smile on his face.

"HEY,XORALHOW'SITGOIN'?GOOD?GLADTOHEARIT!LISTEN,I'VEGOTTABEATTHETAROUTTAYANOW,SO, FAREWELL!" Ryan said in a very, VERY fast voice.

"Wait, what?" Xoral asked, but that was all he could get out. Anything else he was going to say was muffled by Ryan's fist.

The solar-powered superhuman was currently unleashing a torrent of punches faster than Xoral could keep up. He could protect himself from some of these punches, but that was a rare occasion. Xoral was about to unleash a burst of his own energy when Ryan grabbed him and immediately took off into the air. He released Xoral before gathering yellow energy in his palm.

"SOLONG,GOOD-BYE,AUREVIOR,ADIOS,AUFWEIDERSEIN!" Ryan shouted before releasing his energy at Xoral in the form of a giant, yellow beam, and sending the Sun Prince into the ground and turning the sand into muddy glass. Ryan then landed in front of his rival, "OH,COOL!"

Ryan began to surge with solar energy as yellow energy gathered in his body as he clenched his arms and legs together, trying to contain it.

"I did NOT sign up for this…" Xoral murmured as he vanished in a burst of darkness.

Ryan exploded in a burst of solar energy, creating a miniature supernova in the middle of the desert.

Miles away, a familiar, pale man with a dark glove and a flying eel maintained a watchful vigil on what was happening. This was none other than the Necromancer known as Mozenrath and his pet, Xerxes.

"Seems like some old friends have returned." Smirked Mozenrath, "The solar-powered abomination. That means the Key-bearer mustn't be too far away…"

"No…not too far away." Xerxes said, agreeing with his master.

Ryan's eyes blinked before opening, each blink clearing his vision just a little bit.

"Y'know, forget it." Sighed a familiar voice. A hand then grabbed his shirt and another one began to continuously slap him.

"Ow. Ow. OW. OW! HEY, KNOCK IT OFF!" Ryan shouted as he grabbed the hand doing him so much intentional harm.

"Glad to see you're awake, sun-for-brain." Mandy smirked. Ryan was holding her wrist.

"Oh Lordie, NO." Ryan groaned as he sat up, releasing Mandy's hand.

"We've been tryin' to follow ya, Ryan." Goofy said, "You went after that there Seeker and we lost track o' ya."

"And MANDY seemed most worried." Donald added.

"ONLY BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET ANYWHERE WITHOUT HIM!" Mandy shouted, defensively.

"Except the sun's down." Ryan mumbled, "I can't do anything without sunlight."

"But how'd you beat that guy?" Mandy asked.

"That would be ME!" Genie exclaimed, "I gave him a little sunlight and, boom-bada-boom, Ryan beat him up!"

"Can't you just do the same thing now?" Donald asked.

"THAT is the thing, my fine, feathered friend." Genie said before slapping on a lab-coat, a pair of glasses, and an Einstein-esque wig. And to finish things off, he mimicked the scientist's German accent, "Ryan's body is fueled by solar energy, but can only take it in twelve-hour doses. I gave him a simple half-an-hour's worth. Any more than that and he will either explode or simply die on his feet."

"That's not good." Ryan said, eyes widening as he realized that he'd be useless for a while.

"So, looks like we're stuck here." Goofy said.

"Guess so." Donald agreed, "Better get comfy for the night."

**Peddler**

A merchant of multiple odds-and-ends. He stole Jafar's lamp about a year ago and is currently after Ryan's blood due to the fact that Ryan stole a necklace he had. He first appeared in Aladdin.

**Genie of the Lamp**

A fun-loving, blue djinn with nearly-infinite semi-cosmic powers. He's almost as hyperactive as Ryan AND is a shapeshifter to boot. He helped Sora out on numerous occasions and is currently helping out our heroes in the desert. He first appeared in Aladdin.

**Xoral**

Number eleven of the Seekers, also known as the Sun Prince. Xoral has similar powers to Ryan (except for flight), but isn't completely reliable on the sun. His main weapons are his speed, sun-blasts, and a golden pendulum on a chain. He's also a bit of an ego-freak and is concerned with how he looks most of the time.

Xoral, I've decided, will be voiced by Jack DeSena: 'Sokka on Avatar the Last Airbender'.


	37. Mandy

Chapter 37: Mandy's Story

The five heroes had soon set up camp (except Ryan, who was exhausted from his fight with Xoral). A fire was crackling in front of them

"So, how're Aladdin and Jasmine doing?" Ryan asked.

"Great." Genie replied, "They're still helping repair Agrabah from that deal with Jafar and those two guys who claimed they were from the future…and that Finland guy."

"What's with the Finland part?" Mandy asked.

"Don't ask." Ryan murmured, "It's a long story."

"Well, it's such a nice night out, how about a ghost story?" Genie asked.

"Okay, I'll go." Mandy said, "I know a GOOD one…"

"And THAT is how many more years of school you'll need to endure!" Mandy concluded, using an ominous voice and holding a flashlight up to her face.

"No! NO!" Ryan and Genie shouted, looking frightened, "NOOOOOO!"

"Well, that was pretty good, Mandy." Goofy said, though he wasn't as scared as Ryan.

"Hoo. ALMOST as scary as the stuff I've been through…" Ryan panted, trying to keep his heartbeat down.

"Really? YOU try." Mandy said, tossing Ryan the flashlight, "Try and make US cringe."

"Well…" Ryan said, looking a bit nervous, "I was in Radiant Garden a few years ago and there was this KILLER android who was designed to hunt down people like me. I was with J and Scott when he cornered us as the Great Maw and we had an EPIC FIGHT! He tried slaughtering me, but Scott was all 'you touch Ryan again and I'll KILL YOU!'. I then…y'know that tingling ya get when your foot's asleep? I got that all over. Then…KA-BOOM! All my energy bursts out of me! The Android falls down, dead as the batteries he ran on, and J tossed him down the cliff!"

"Interesting, but not scary." Mandy shrugged, "I've seen scarier."

"Really? How?" Ryan asked, tossing Mandy the flashlight back.

"Well, it was the fifth or sixth HOTTEST day in my entire life…" Mandy started off, "It was in Radiant Garden about ten years ago. My parents stop by an ice cream stand and I get a cone. It was good…"

"BORING!" Ryan shouted.

"RYAN, CUT IT OUT!" Donald snapped while bonking Ryan on the head with his staff.

"My dad suddenly tensed up." Mandy said, taking a more ominous tone, "He said 'Something's there. Keep Mandy safe.' I get scared. Mom then runs off, clutching my wrist. Dad screams and then, out of nowhere, comes a HEARTLESS! Mom tries running, but accidentally drops me. I shout for her…the Heartless jumps up. I hold out my hand to defend myself. FLASH! A Keyblade appears in my hand!"

Mandy waved around her left hand, to emphasize her slashing.

"I only just manage to stab the Heartless and I try to find mom. However, more and more Heartless keep coming in! I was only four. I couldn't take 'em all." Mandy continued, voice becoming more intense, "More and more Heartless come in and I shout 'Mommy!'. I see her! She's trying to get me outta there, but the Heartless take me away! And, next thing I know, I'm in Traverse Town."

"Whoa." Ryan said, looking freaked, "What happened after that?"

"Some lady named Aerith found me and took me in." Mandy continued, "I was stuck there for about eight years. THEN, when I was thirteen, I went to Hollow Bastion. I wasn't allowed to fight in that big Heartless Invasion…but that didn't stop me." Mandy gave her mischievous smirk again, "I was ready to get even with 'em. I took out a few, but then I get cornered near Rising Falls. Then, ZOOM! Iron Man comes to the rescue!"

"Wow. She was saved by Robert Downey Jr." Genie said, impressed.

"Y'know, you and Crescent should get together sometime." Donald mumbled.

"Trust me, I have. And he's a little TOO mentally unstable for me, if you catch my drift." Mandy replied, then shuddered at the memory.

"What've you been doing since?" Ryan asked.

"Trying to find my mom." Mandy replied, "I know she survived the invasion. I've got a gut feeling about it."

"I got separated from my parents, too." Ryan said, "I never found them. I simply…found a big brother. Scott found me and took me in. I had a few issues with April for a while, but I dropped it in time. J…" Ryan scratched the back of his head and chuckled, nervously, "We're still trying to work it out."

Mandy giggled at his explanation.

"You think my pain's FUNNY?" Ryan asked, eye twitching from irritation.

"Yes." Mandy replied, "I find everyone's pain funny except for my own."

"Ah, forget it." Ryan murmured, "I'm hitting the hay."

Genie sprang into action and summoned up a tent that Ryan crawled into. "Hey, Ry, I think that girl likes you." Genie whispered, now in a set of pajamas and holding a stuffed Mickey Mouse.

"Pffbth! She just laughed at J punching me all the time." Ryan grumbled as he turned over on the ground.

"Ladies love men who can make 'em laugh!" Genie whispered, almost egging the guy as he summoned a sleeping bag.

"GOOD NIGHT, GENIE." Ryan deadpanned.

"Y'know, Mandy, I think Ryan LIKES ya." Goofy pointed out, unbeknownst to Ryan. Donald was already fast asleep, keeping his staff out and holding it like his favorite teddy bear.

"No, he doesn't." Mandy murmured as she rolled out a sleeping bag, "We're almost CONSTANTLY arguing. It's like he's TRYING to tick me off."

"Well, uh, maybe he's got a crush on ya and doesn't realize what it is yet." Goofy suggested, "Maybe THAT'S why he's so stiff around ya."

"And I'm Little Bo Peep." Mandy growled.

"What?" Goofy asked.

"GOOD NIGHT, GOOFY." Many deadpanned as she zipped herself in and rolled away from the dog guard.

"Gawrsh…who woulda thought it'd be this hard?" Goofy asked as he settled down.

And yet, as Mandy lay there, her back to Donald and Goofy, her expression was one of deep thought. Did this guy have a crush on her? And, was it just her, or was SHE beginning to ask the same question for herself?

She decided she would sleep on it: the mission at hand was a bit more important.

A brief chapter used to explain Mandy's back-story. Hoped y'all enjoyed it. And hint, hint, hint.


	38. Infiltrating the Black Sand

Chapter 38: Infiltrating the Black Sand

The next morning, Ryan, Mandy, Donald, Goofy, and Genie were outside the Land of Black Sand, where Mozenrath reigned. But, rather than a usual background, everyone seemed to be lined up and waiting for someone.

That someone was Genie, clad in a military uniform and a hat worthy of a lieutenant.

"My name is Lieutenant Genie O. DeLamp." Genie introduced with a stereotypical Southern accent, "And I need me four soldiers. We're gonna be dropped into the Land of Black Sands, dressed as civilians. We're gonna be doin' one thing and ONE THING ONLY—findin' pieces of paper." Genie then poofed back into his original form and said, "Well, that timing could've been a little better. But, the point is we have to find that piece of map and get out without Mozenrath noticing us. Think you can do that?"

"Sure." Mandy said.

"Yep." Donald nodded.

"Sure thing." Goofy said.

"No problem!" Ryan grinned.

"How long 'til he gets caught?" Mandy asked Donald out of the corner of her mouth.

"Five minutes." Donald answered, miraculously, out of the corner of his bill.

"Two and a half." Mandy replied.

Ryan looked over to the girl and duck and sighed before turning to Goofy. "Are they using me as a means to gamble?" He asked.

"I'm pretty sure. But don't worry, Ryan." Goofy said, putting his hand on Ryan's shoulder, "You'll do fine."

"Thanks, Goofy." Ryan said with a comforted smile.

"Now, let's MOVE OUT!" Genie shouted. The five partners then walked, quietly into the Land of Black Sand.

The group entered the Land of Black Sands, which was a PERFECT vacation spot. That is, if your ideal vacation spot included a dark sky, black clouds and sands, and what looked like miniature plateaus of said sand-like material. Full of swarms of zombies and Heartless, this was home to probably one of the nastiest in Maleficent's group, and had danger at just about every turn.

"Well, my time's up." Mandy whispered to Donald.

"Will you two just knock it off?" Ryan asked, irritably. The fact that people were gambling over him was beginning to take its toll on him.

"SHHH! Guys, we have to keep a low profile." Genie said, in a hushed voice, "Zombies and Heartless are everywhere…"

"Sorry." Ryan apologized in a low voice.

Our fanfiction suddenly halted as Crescent suddenly appeared.

"Hi, folks." Crescent greeted, "Sorry that chapters have been slow to come out. TL's had a killer case of writer's block, which is one of the reasons he brought me in here. See, there WOULD be someone making a loud noise, but no one's stupid enough to do that. So…"

Crescent took out a bomb with a skull-and-crossbones symbol on it…and a straw-hat on the Jolly Roger…and a lit fuse.

"Hm. Picked this somewhere up in Rurouni Kenshin…" Crescent thought. He then shrugged before saying, "Ah well."

Crescent lobbed the bomb over his shoulder before saying, "Now, back to our feature presentation!"

Our fanfiction then returned to normal.

Ryan looked up and saw a bomb with an odd-looking Jolly Roger sailing over their heads.

"GUYS! A BOMB!" Ryan shouted.

The others looked up and saw the bomb, puzzled looks crossing their faces mere moments before realizing that their cover had just been blown by a metaphorical atomic bomb.

"What's with the skull and crossbones?" Donald asked.

"Must be referencing some kinda Japanese comic book." Genie answered.

Ka-BOOM!

The Heartless and zombies immediately looked over at the group. Bandit and Fat Bandit Heartless immediately rushed over, followed by the sickly-green, nose-less, Arabian-dressed zombies.

"If this has to do with that creepy guy, then AVOID trying to kill the Heartless." Donald said, "Necromancers will just pop up and use them as shields!"

"So, if we can't kill 'em, what do we do?" Mandy asked.

"RUN!" Ryan shouted.

After a one-second pause, Ryan, Genie, Mandy, and Goofy took off to their immediate left. Donald looked around and saw that he was on his own.

"WAAAK!" the duck mage squawked as he immediately ran back.

The group came to a halt inside a small hut.

"Where'd that bomb come from?!" Ryan half-shouted.

"Who cares?!" Mandy snapped, "We've gotta find that map piece so we can get out of this nightmare!"

"Mandy, where's the Keyblade pointing?" Donald asked.

Mandy summoned Treasure Seeker. It glowed with a golden light and pointed directly at Mozenrath's castle. This earned a frustrated growl from both superhuman and key-wielder.

"In THAT case…" Genie said before poofing into the perfect image of John Wayne, "We're goin' to war!"

"Let's do it!" Ryan grinned as balls of sunlight appeared in his hands.

In Mozenrath's castle, the necromancer was consulting the image of his superior—Maleficent.

"According to the Heartless, Sora wasn't among those who arrived." Mozenrath reported, "The King's lackeys, the blue genie, that solar-powered abomination, and some girl are the ones who somehow infiltrated my land."

"You've been obsessing over the Keyblade-wielder for over a year now." Maleficent stated, "You failed to gain control over him. Find a more productive use of your time."

Maleficent then vanished in green flames, making Mozenrath clench his gloved hand. THIS was starting to get him mad. He should have his zombies surround Maleficent and—

BOOM!

With a burst of energy, a hunk of the wall was blown open to show Ryan, Mandy, Donald, Goofy, and Genie.

"Are you SURE this was where the map piece is?" Ryan asked.

"If my Keyblade's pointing there, it's there." Mandy replied.

"Uh…guys?" Genie asked, "I'd hate to ruin your day, but Mozenrath's right there."

Ryan looked over and saw Mozenrath, who looked just as surprised as they were, and the superhuman's response was to immediately drove his hand into his forehead.

"CRUD!"

"What do you want?" Mozenrath asked, voice showing every sign of irritation, "I haven't attacked Agrabah."

"We're looking for something." Ryan replied, "A piece of a VERY old map that leads to-"

"RYAN!" everyone shouted before dog-piling the hyperfreak.

"Hm…a piece of some valuable map?" Mozenrath asked with a smirk. He snapped his fingers before summoning a swarm of Bandit Heartless. Ryan and his friends readied for some sort of attack. But, rather than attack, he spoke to them.

"See if you can find this map piece." He ordered. The Bandits nodded, then vanished in swirls of darkness.

"Did I just make our job harder?" Ryan asked.

"YES." Mandy deadpanned, looking ready to punch Ryan in the face.

"YOU TWO!" Donald shouted.

"Mozenrath's STILL here!" Genie said, pointing to the necromancer.

"Seems like an epic of failures for you." Mozenrath smirked, "My Heartless will find this map piece in a matter of seconds."

"Well, I know ONE thing." Ryan said. He zipped over and jumped at Mozenrath. The Necromancer thrust out his gloved hand and a burst of green magic fired out of his palm. It hit the solar-powered superhuman in the chest and sent him, skidding, to the ground.

"RYAN!" Donald and Goofy shouted.

"FIRE!" Mandy shouted as she thrust out her Keyblade. Mozenrath dispelled the burst of flames with a lazy flick of his hand.

"The glove…remove it!" Ryan groaned as Donald and Goofy helped him up. His shirt was charred and he had a black eye and bloody nose from his trip across the floor, "If you take out his glove…he's powerless…"

"I don't know what it'll do, but here goes nothing." Mandy said as she charged over to Mozenrath. The necromancer flicked his gloved hand and more Heartless appeared—THESE ones were Necromancers.

"What? THESE?" Mandy asked with a cocky grin, "They won't last long."

Mandy drove her Keyblade into a Necromancer's chest before slicing one's head off and slicing another in half.

"MANDY!" Donald squawked, "NECROMANCERS USE HEARTLESS THAT YOU KILLED!"

"Huh?" Mandy asked, not understanding what Donald was saying.

The Necromancer Heartless immediately thrust out their hands as more Necromancers appeared, though the new ones had a greenish tint to their skin.

"Oh, THAT." Mandy said, looking a bit freaked.

"I'll help ya out, Mandy!" Genie shouted before transforming into Clint Eastwood, "Ya have to ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Well? DO YA?!"

Genie, as fast as he had transformed before, changed into his Summon mode and summoned his mock Keyblade. He charged over and began slicing at the Necromancers. Mandy pulled out her charm, but shook her head.

"Next time." She said before charging at Mozenrath. Mozenrath made to defend himself, but an orb of sunlight narrowly missed him. The ball of solar energy didn't do any damage, but managed to blind the necromancer for a few seconds, "EAT THIS, CREEPY!"

Mandy brought her Keyblade across Mozenrath's face and caused him to tumble to the ground. She pulled off his glove and noticed that the hand beneath it was nothing more than bones.

"EW!" Mandy shrieked before tossing the glove away.

"You'll regret this…" Mozenrath snarled.

"I'm regretting it already. How can you live with that?!" Mandy demanded, still looking freaked.

Mozenrath growled before vanishing into the darkness.

"Wow, Ryan, never thought you could do anything THAT clever." Mandy said with a smirk.

"What? That helped?" Ryan asked, "I was aiming for his head."

"You've gotta work on that pitch there, little buddy." Genie said.

"So, where's the map piece?" Donald asked.

Mandy consulted the Treasure Seeker and almost wound up face-flat on the ground. It immediately swiveled and pointed at a familiar egg-shaped ruby. (1)

"THAT thing again?!" Donald asked, looking steamed. His rage quickly evaporated into a greedy look.

"Donald, maybe you should step back." Goofy suggested.

A beam of golden light flew from Mandy's Keyblade and connected with the ruby. A piece of parchment flew out. She caught it with a playful grin.

"Done and done." She said as she slipped the piece into her pocket.

"Wow." Ryan said, surprised, "That was quite possibly the fastest mission we've ever been on. And we could've done it better if that bomb didn't come in."

"Yeah, wonder where that came from?" Goofy asked, massaging his chin.

"Well, I'll give ol' Al the word that you said 'hello', but trust me, you haven't seen the last of me." Genie pointed out, then held out a hand and held out a charm that looked like a lamp. "Alright, buddy. If you need a hand, just use this and I'll appear, lickety-split." Genie said, handing Ryan a Summon Charm.

Ryan looked at the charm, and then at Mandy. After a few looks between the two, he looked like he would rather be trapped in some pocket dimension than in this current situation. He looked over at Donald and Goofy, who were currently using the 'go ahead' gesture. He sighed. There would be SO MANY things he'd rather do…

"Here. You can have it." Ryan said, looking as though every word he said caused him bodily harm.

"Really?" Mandy asked. Ryan made a small nod, "THANK YOU!"

Mandy took the Charm and gave Ryan a quick kiss on the cheek. Ryan's eyes widened at the sheer suddenness…then fainted on the spot.

Genie was in a doctor's uniform with a set of electrodes. RYAN was on an operating table with a pacemaker that was currently on flat-line. Genie began to rub his electrodes together, gathering up enough charge.

"Clear." He said before planting them on Ryan's chest. The hyperfreak's body convulsed as his heart began beating again.

"What just happened?" Ryan asked, dazedly.

"Ya gave Mandy a Summon charm, she kissed ya, you passed out, Genie flew us out because Heartless were comin', and he just got ya back up." Goofy replied.

Ryan clutched his head the whole time, then froze as he realized what Goofy had just told him. "Oh no…" he moaned, quietly.

Donald and Goofy began to snicker at Ryan's suffering, and it was times like this that they were glad that Mandy wasn't there.

"Just get us outta here." Ryan stated, flopping down on the table.

As if it could hear him, the Gummi came to a halt over them before beaming them up.

THIS was the road to either a good thing or a bad thing for the kid.

**Mozenrath**

A Necromancer who gave up physical strength to enhance his magical abilities. He's cunning and can defeat almost anyone in his path. His only weakness is to remove his glove, which is the source of his power. He first appeared in Aladdin: The Animated Series.


	39. Return to Toy Zone

Chapter 40: Return to the Toy Zone

In the dark palace that was home of the Seekers, Xoral slumped down into a chair, massaging his aching limbs. That tussle in Agrabah had left a number on him.

"Ow…ow…ow…" Xoral groaned to himself, "Who'd have thought that kid could be so tough? Ow."

In the background, Goxryu growled in disgust for the guy. If Kurix would only give him the order, he would crush this weakling like a cockroach.

Speaking of which, Kurix sat at his seat like a mighty king, his eyes closed in focus. During times like this, no one dared to disturb him. The No. 8 Seeker had tried getting his attention once and had almost gotten a hole blown in him.

Finally, Kurix's eyes opened as he stood to his full height. He crossed the room, any Seeker in the way immediately moving aside, and finally spoke.

"Xeydin. Yaxm."

In two flashes of darkness, the Memory Assassin and the Savage Siren were in his presence.

"Yes, sir?" both asked.

"I have need for both of you." Kurix said, keeping a steady eye on them, "The key-wielder, Sora, is going someplace that could work to our advantage."

"Our advantage? Or YOURS?" the familiar, deep voice of Ohryx asked.

Kurix turned to face the Time Bender, then answered, "Both, actually."

Goxryu tilted his head in curiosity. "How?" he asked.

"It could break Riku down for me…and give us less competition in the long run for our goal." Kurix said, a slight smile creeping onto his face. He then turned to Yaxm and Xeydin. "Go to Radiant Garden and maintain a close vigil on Sora. Pay close attention to what everyone says and does there, too."

"Yessir."

Radiant Garden…

Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy roamed down the streets of Radiant Garden. The Treasure Seeker had dragged them here and they had only stopped it by Sora switching back to his usual Ultima Weapon.

One particular reason was because there were some friends he wanted to check up on: friends he had met a year ago.

"So, what exactly are we here for?" Kairi asked.

Sora put a finger to his chin, thinking of the best way to explain. "O-kay, you remember last year when I disappeared into that box until sunset?"

Kairi nodded. That was the day she had met her cousin, J, so it was kind of hard to forget.

"Well, I want to check how things are going in that box." Sora explained, "Want to come and let me introduce you to everyone?"

Kairi nodded again with a chirpy, "Yeah."

"Sure, why not?" Sakuzy asked with a shrug.

"Well, then we're off for Merlin's place." Sora said, then led the way.

Upon arriving there, they saw the three iconic things of Merlin's magic house: Pooh's storybook, that odd-looking, ancient book, and the star-colored toy chest. But Merlin was already here and was in apparent conversation with a man in an expensive-looking, blue overcoat, a beard and mustache combo, and shoulder-length, wavy, brown hair.

Merlin turned to meet them. "Oh, Sora! I was expecting you, but not this early. If I had known, I would've rescheduled."

The man in the blue coat turned and looked a bit apologetic. "I didn't know that Merlin was expecting someone else." He went over to Sora and shook his hand, "Reeve Tuesti."

"Nice to meet you, Reeve."

"Reeve…" Kairi said, a thought occurring to her, "Didn't you make someone named…" Kairi snapped her fingers, trying to remember the name.

"Cait Sith?" Reeve asked, then looked around. "Where'd he go?"

"Good riddance, in my opinion." Another voice said, surprising everyone in the room, "That furball was disturbing my peace and quiet!"

Merlin groaned, then went over to a birdhouse of sorts and jabbed his wand into the doorway. "Archimedes, show some manners in the presence of guests."

Out of the birdhouse popped the feathery, yellow-eyed head of a rather small owl.

"I wouldn't show manners if it was a Keyblader." He argued, then popped back into his house.

"At least come out and greet our guest, then." Merlin said, jabbing his wand back in.

"No!" Archimedes objected from inside, "No-no-NO!"

"Archimedes!" Merlin warned, tapping the owl with his wand, "I'll turn you into a human!"

"You wouldn't DARE!" Archimedes challenged.

By now, Reeve, Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy were just staring at the odd events going on, wondering if or if not they should intervene.

"Well, while Merlin sorts things out, I do have a favor to ask of you." Reeve said, uncomfortably shifting things his way, "I have reason to believe my little creation has stumbled into Merlin's little 'box world' there."

"Sure thing, sir." Sora said with a nod.

"It's just that he has some valuable information and, I just worry he's trapped in there." Reeve admitted, nervously.

"Oh, nonsense." Merlin said, breaking away from his argument with Archimedes, "He'd have to be in that world for three days before he's officially trapped."

"Oh." Reeve said, almost sighing in relief, "Kinda had me worried for a moment."

Sora, knowing how everything seemed to work, went over to the toy chest and flipped it open. And in a flash of sky-blue lights, all three were sucked in.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOHPOH

It had worked. And that was just what Sora remembered from his last visit here. But he certainly remembered that, the last time he was here, the top wasn't open, nor was there anyone else.

"Whoa! Where'd YOU come from?" a voice asked.

Sora jumped. That was NOT Kairi or Sakuzy he just heard. He looked up to see that the chest was wide-open and a little figure was up on the rim.

"Soldier, where'd you come from?!" it demanded in a strict, drill-sergeant voice.

"Sarge, what was that?" a more familiar voice asked.

Peeking over the chest's edge was a familiar face: the green and white spacesuit, the purple head thermal, all that was missing was the helmet.

"Buzz?" Sora asked, "That you?"

The figure jumped into the chest and revealed that it was none other than Buzz Lightyear. "Well, soldier, it's good to see an old, familiar face around here."

"Good to see you, too." Sora said, shaking the space ranger's hand.

"And who're your friends here?" Buzz asked.

Sora turned and, at this point, he was glad that he had seen transformations before. If not, this would seem VERY weird by this point.

Kairi was, unsurprisingly, a girl's doll. Her wardrobe had changed completely, accessory-styled clothes, fake hair, and everything. She looked VERY uncomfortable, because of the heels that this world had given her.

Kairi had just finished massaging her near-cramped foot and was met face-to-face with Buzz.

"Oh! I'm Kairi." She said, getting back to a comfortable standing position. She then looked around and noticed that the third part of their party was no longer there, "Where's Sakuzy?"

"Right here." A voice answered before something bumped her from behind.

Right behind her was a crimson truck with eyes right where its headlights should have been. Sora noticed and stifled a laugh.

"You're a TRUCK?" he asked.

"Nuh-uh." Sakuzy said and would have shaken his head, "Watch THIS."

Different parts of Sakuzy's body began to shift, unclip, and rearrange themselves until he was in the form of a robot action figure. His face was clad in a helmet of sorts, one that didn't hide his facial features, which were still recognizable (albeit oddly rectangular).

"A transformer (1)." Sakuzy said, looking himself over, "Cool."

"Come on, Sora and comrades." Buzz said with a nod, "Let's get you outta here." He then turned his attention to the small figure on the edge and said, "Sarge, at ease."

"Thank you, sir." The Sarge said, and upon getting close enough, Sora saw that it was a green army man figure.

This place never ceased to surprise him.

Sora looked around this place that the toys knew as "Andy's Room". It was good to be back.

Lego blocks began to stack up on each other until they formed yellow letters with a blue outline. The words spelled out "Toy Zone".

Sora immediately looked around the place and sighed. Good times…

"Well, well, if it isn't our spiky-haired friend?"

Sora turned to meet a familiar piggy bank and a talking spud.

"Hey, Hamm. Hey, Potatohead." Sora said, shaking Potatohead's hand and receiving a welcoming laugh from Hamm.

"Is THIS the boy you say messed up your face, darling?" another, female, voice asked.

"Oh, you just HAD to bring that up, didn't you?" Potatohead asked.

Sora turned to lay his eyes on another Potatohead, a female one with a sun hat, eyelashes, and earrings. This was obviously his counterpart, a Mrs. Potatohead.

"Well, looks like you hit the jackpot, Pota-oops." Sora said, then corrected himself, "MISTER Potatohead."

"Glad to see you catch on, kid." Hamm said, "And lemme tell ya you and your friends aren't the only ones to come through that box."

"Really?" Kairi asked, "Where's this other guy?"

"He's under the bed." Mrs. Potatohead answered, "Ever since Buzz warned him of Andy's mom, he's done nothing but hide under there."

"I'll see if I can coax him out." Kairi said, moving over to the massive bed at the edge of the room.

"Well, golly Bob HOWDY!"

Sora was soon met with two other familiar faces: Slinky with his easily-recognizable middle, and Rex the dinosaur.

"Hey, Sora!" Rex said with a wave, "It's been too long, buddy!"

Sora could only smile at the sight of his familiar friends, but right there and then, he realized someone was missing from the picture.

"Hey, has anyone seen Woody?" he asked. How could he have not noticed the cowboy who was there to meet him last time?

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OH

Kairi and Sakuzy had made it to the edge of the bed and moved the comforter before heading under the piece of furniture. Almost immediately, Kairi noticed the strange figure.

"Hello?" she called.

The figure moved to reveal a cute black and white cat with gloves, brown shoes, a crown, and a red cape. He noticed the two (though how he did it with his eyes closed, was a mystery to anyone) but noted Kairi a little more clearly.

"Well, I'll be stuffed." The cat-like thing said in a Scottish voice, "Kairi!"

"Long time, no see, huh?" Kairi asked, shaking hands with the stuffed cat.

"Yes. I still feel the place where ya bumped my head." Cait Sith said, massaging a place on his furry head.

Kairi had to give a slight laugh. During a battle on a world called Midgar, she had clunked him in Aerith's church mere hours before she was killed by the Crystalli host known as Topaz.

She still wondered how the people who knew Aerith took her death…

Wanting to avoid the subject, she pointed out, "Hey, someone at Radiant Garden is waiting for you."

"Oh! Reeve!" Cait Sith said in a jolt, "He's probably worried sick to his stomach! I would've gone back to him, but I couldn't find the bloody exit to this place."

"Well, from what Sora's telling me, that could take a while." Kairi recalled, "Said something about not being able to return until sunset."

"Great." Cait Sith said, crestfallen.

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OH

Outside, Sora finally managed to get some alone time with Buzz to ask a very important question.

"Buzz, where's Woody?" Sora asked.

He had a valid point. During his current ten-minute stay, he had not seen a trace of the cowboy doll. And judging from the heavy sigh that escaped Buzz, he wasn't going to like the answer.

"He's up on that shelf, waiting for Andy to come home." A woman's voice answered, and Sora turned to meet a woman with a pink dress, a blue shepherd's cane, and blonde, plastic locks.

Buzz took a slight step back in surprise, then nodded. "Bo's right, Sora."

"Why's he up there?" Sora asked, looking up at the top shelf.

"I suppose I'm kind of to blame." Buzz answered. Upon receiving a reproachful glance from Sora, he quickly raised his hands to defend, "Oh, no. Don't get that idea, Sora. It was all an accident: Andy was playing with us, he had linked our arms, and he accidentally ripped Woody's arm."

Sora's mouth fell open in slight surprise. He tried to see things through Woody's eyes: being with the kid you loved and then having him shelf you after a mere accident. THAT was probably a huge blow for him.

"Andy will be back, right?" Sora asked, trying to find something of comfort.

"He's at Cowboy Camp and won't be back until the weekend." Bo answered, then sighed, "He seems like such a different person now. Buzz has helped keep things in order, but Woody was part of our life. That day was a blow to both him and us."

"I see."

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOH

Back under the bed, Kairi was currently trying to coax Cait Sith out from under the bed. And so far, neither she or Sakuzy could talk him into going out.

"Come on, kitty." Sakuzy groaned, "What are you so afraid of?"

By this point, they had both dragged him out of the bed's shadow, Mr. Potatohead and Hamm immediately stopped playing their card game and said two words in unison.

"Uh-oh."

Slinky, curious as to what Potatohead and Hamm's statement could have meant, looked over and saw Cait Sith. The little cat had only time to say another two-word sentence.

"Not again."

Cait Sith immediately sprang for the comforter and began to clamber up it because Slinky, in no time, had crossed the room and began barking up at him. Cait Sith could only peer down in fright as Slink continued his action.

It took a combination of Buzz, Sora, and Sakuzy to hold back the dog.

"Slink, what's gotten into you?" Sora asked over the ruckus.

By now, Slink had calmed down and he looked oddly disoriented. "Sorry, kid." He apologized, "I don't rightly know what happened. Just some kind of instinct."

Sora could honestly say that he wasn't surprised.

And in the following second, everything changed. Right from the top shelf, the all-too-familiar voice of Woody rang through the room.

"YARD SALE!"

After that, everything for Sora became nothing.

**Merlin**

The sagely wizard who helped Sora in terms of magic on his previous adventures. Whenever Sora's in need of magical help, he's there and usually one step ahead of everyone else. He first appeared in Sword in the Stone.

**Archimedes**

Merlin's smart-mouthed owl. Though highly educated, he doesn't really have a lot of manners and tends to be a smart aleck, rude, and foul (no pun intended). He first appeared in Sword in the Stone.

**Reeve Tuesti**

A mechanical genius who helped Cloud's group a while back. He is the operator of the animatronic known as Cait Sith and is head of the WRO: the group responsible for rebuilding Radiant Garden. He first appeared in Final Fantasy VII.

**Cait Sith**

An animatronic cat operated by Reeve Tuesti. He has some talent in magic and speaks in a clear, Scottish accent. He used to ride a giant Moogle, but now rides on Red XIII, who has mysteriously disappeared. He first appeared in Final Fantasy VII.

**Woody**

The head of the toys in Toy Zone. Normally, he's the owner's favorite toy, but he's been shelved since his arm got slightly torn. He's usually the sane center in Andy's room. He first appeared in Toy Story.

**Buzz Lightyear**

A somewhat dramatic friend of Woody's. He's an action-figure version of the universe's greatest space ranger. Though slightly deluded, he's extremely loyal and will go to any length to save his friends. He first appeared in Toy Story.

(1) I had Transformers Toys when I was a kid. Primarily the Beast Wars franchise; awesome toys, even more awesome TV show.


	40. Amnesia

Chapter 41: Amnesia

In the dead of night, Buzz Lightyear checked to see if the coast was clear, then swiftly crossed over to some cover in the bushes. It was the dead of night to avoid being seen, and for good reason, too.

When Buzz had sufficient cover, he beckoned to someone on the other side. Immediately, Rex, carrying a bunch of leaves, tiptoed to the other side until he was left with only one leaf. He looked at it, laughed nervously, then tossed it aside.

Slinky was the next one to cross, closely followed by Kairi and Sakuzy, who was in his vehicle form. Cait Sith wasn't far behind and so were Potatohead and Hamm…but Hamm tripped and his cork popped out, spilling out his carryings.

"Alright, nobody look until I get my cork back in." Hamm said, hiding his gaping hole.

"Good work, everyone!" Buzz complimented, "We're two blocks down and only nineteen more to go!"

"NINETEEN?!" shouted everyone.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Kairi groaned.

"You don't hear Sakuzy complaining." Buzz stated, gesturing at the fire-truck.

The fire-truck shifted into Sakuzy's true form and his hands immediately flew to his calves. "MY ARMS AND LEGS ARE KILLING ME!" he growled.

"Did Woody give up when Sid had me strapped to a ROCKET?!" Buzz demanded of his fellow toys.

"No." The others replied, in unison.

"Did Woody give up when you THREW HIM OUT OF THAT MOVING VAN?!" Buzz demanded.

"Oh, you had to bring THAT up…" Mr. Potato Head muttered.

"NO, HE DID NOT!" Buzz replied, "WE HAVE A FRIEND IN NEED! AND WE WILL NOT SLEEP UNTIL HE IS SAFE BACK IN ANDY'S ROOM! NOW, LET'S MOVE OUT!"

"Why're we doing this again?" Sakuzy asked.

"We're trying to find Sora." Kairi replied, "If we're in here for more than three days, we're trapped here, forever."

POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOHP OHPOH

Meanwhile…

His eyes fluttered open; he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there, but all he knew was that his head was aching like mad. He groaned as he touched his head. Plastic spikes met with his touch.

"Huh?" he asked himself, then propped himself up.

"Sora?" asked a vaguely familiar voice, "What're you doing here?"

Sora stood up and looked around: he was in a giant room of…an apartment of sorts. He saw a couch, a coffee table, and a still-playing television despite the large man in the couch being fast asleep.

His focus then fell on a cowboy doll with a long, thin nose, yellow shirt, jeans, boots, and a brown coat looking down at him. The odd thing about the cowboy was that he was missing his arm; some stuffing could be made out emerging from the torn area.

"Do-do I know you?" Sora asked, looking confused. He could have sworn he met this cowboy somewhere before, but right now his head felt blank up until this moment.

"It's me; Woody." The cowboy replied, "You were here almost a year ago. Where's Donald and Goofy?"

"Who and…wha?" Sora asked as he continued massaging his head. It was like someone took a jackhammer to it, and the fact that these names had struck nothing to him worried him even more.

"I guess we can find out later. Could you just help me get my arm back?" Woody asked, gesturing to a bit of cotton coming out of his shoulder.

"Uh…sure." Sora replied, shakily. This whole thing was still a bit confusing to him. "Where is it?"

"He has it." Woody said, pointing to the sleeping man.

And without further ado, the two made their way, as quietly as they could, over to a large, sleeping man. He was wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, was VERY fat, had a red shirt, a pair of jeans, brown hair (though it was thinning away, leaving a large bald spot), and a mustache/beard.

"Who is this guy?" Sora asked.

"Al." Woody replied, "It's a long story. I'm just trying to get out."

Woody walked over to the couch the giant couch's armchair. He tried jumping, but it was too far for him to get up there. He turned to Sora.

"Hey!" he hissed, "Come here and gimme a boost."

Sora looked around, then made a fast and quiet dash across the room and helped Woody out. He folded his hands, which Woody stepped in, and with a push of Sora's arms, Woody was pushed up to the arm of the couch, right up next to Al's arm.

"So, why're you tryin' to get out?" Sora asked, "Just curious."

"Al stole me from my owner, Andy." Woody replied.

Owner…Sora thought to himself, then looked at his plastic self, Well, if he's separated from his, then who's mine?

Sora decided he would think about that later.

"How'd he steal you?" Sora asked as Woody almost stepped on Al's shoulder.

"I was in this yard sale and-" Woody began, reaching for his arm and falling short.

"Wait, if you have an owner, why were you in a yard sale?" Sora asked.

"I WAS TRYING TO SAVE ANOTHER TOY." Woody snapped, still trying to keep quiet. But it was said with enough ferocity that Sora flinched.

"Sorry. Just curious." Sora replied, apologetically, as he climbed up after the Cowboy. How he was able to do it with ease while Woody needed help, even he didn't know.

"No, I'm sorry." Woody corrected, "It's just that I was already asked that."

Sora nodded, then noticed some strange noise coming from just ahead of them and approaching fast. It was some sort of a deep, low rumbling.

And then, it hit them: that rumble was Al's inner workings at work. The rumble made its way up Al's gut, to his chest, and finally up his throat until it exited out his mouth: a belch.

And as luck would have it, Woody and Sora were right at the business end of it.

Sora could have sworn that his eyes watered from the sheer blast of stench. He cupped his hands over his nose and mouth to block it out in any way he could.

Woody gagged and made an attempt to fan the putrid smell away from him with his hat. Once he had cleared as much as he could, he took a deep breath, reached into Al's shirt pocket, and pulled out a severed arm. He sighed in relief and hopped off, followed by Sora.

"C'mon, Sora, we've gotta get you into that toy box…" Woody said, hurriedly.

"What toy box?" Sora asked.

"What?" Woody asked, dumbfounded, "You don't remember how you GOT here?"

"Sorry. Just a big blur." Sora replied.

"Let's just get back!" Woody said, but didn't even take a step when fate had other plans…

WOODY'S ROUND-UP!

C'MON, IT'S TIME TO PLAY!

The noise of the TV caused Al to jolt awake. Apparently still half-asleep, the guy had raised his hands and shouted, "I didn't do it, officers! I SWEAR!"

Woody immediately fell to the ground, motionless. Sora knew, instinctively, that he should do the same.

Al seemed to have gained a better sense of his surroundings, for he was now scanning the floor, mumbling something about the remote. But before he found it, the fat man noticed Woody and Sora on the ground. He picked up and Woody and, hurriedly, put him in a glass case before looking over Sora.

"Huh." He said, curiously, "Don't remember THIS getting in here…" Al said, sleepily, "Ah well, I'll just sleep on it…"

He lazily set Sora onto a shelf not far from his glass cases, then set back to work on searching for the remote.

Sora immediately saw the remote below what appeared to be a cowgirl with red yarn for hair, a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and red cowgirl boots. He quickly put two-and-two together…

Al finally found the remote, turned the TV off, then closed the door behind him, yawning all the way.

Woody had apparently noticed the remote and its location, for he immediately burst out of the glass case and wheeled over to the cowgirl.

"WHAT is your problem?!" he demanded, "Look, I'm sorry I couldn't help you guys. REALLY. But you didn't have to go and pull a stunt like THAT!"

The cowgirl suddenly moved and raised her brow in disbelief. "Wha-you think I did that?" the cowgirl asked in a stereotypical cowgirl accent.

"Oh yeah, the TV just HAPPENED to turn on," Woody said, voice ringing with sarcasm, "And the remote MAGICALLY ended up in front of YOU."

"You callin' me a LIAR?!" the cowgirl demanded.

"Well, if the boot fits!" Woody snapped.

The cowgirl froze, then challenged, very slowly, "Say that again…"

"If…" Woody said, also slowly, "The BOOT fits."

"Okay, cowboy…" the cowgirl snarled as she adjusted her hat.

"Uh…who're you?" Sora asked.

The cowgirl didn't answer. Instead, she kicked open her case and sprang on Woody, sending him to the ground. The two rolled around, grappling with each other. But in the end, Jesse came out on top, pulling Woody's single arm back in what would be a VERY painful situation. Sora couldn't get a single word, but he certainly could make out "take it back" amongst the kerfuffle.

"GUYS! KNOCK IT OFF!" Sora said, trying to break it up.

"WHOA!" shouted someone.

And Sora barely had enough time to react when a box fell down and landed, forcing Woody and the cowgirl to separate. A stuffed horse immediately pushed the box up, showing a short, fat old cowboy doll with a giant hat, a pair of overalls, and a red shirt.

"I don't know how that television turned on," the man said, sternly, "But fighting about it isn't going to change ANYTHING."

Sora, still trying to get the hang of things around here, asked, "Who are you guys?"

"Oh, a newcomer." The short cowboy said, "I'm…the Prospector." He had hesitated on the introduction of himself, "And these are Jessie, Bullseye, and Woody."

"I…know Woody." Sora said.

"When did you come to be here?" Prospector asked.

"I…don't know." Sora replied, "I just can't remember. Can't remember anything."

"Oh, well, welcome to our abode where you might be fortunate to go to the Toy Museum!" Prospector exclaimed.

Obviously, Woody and Jessie were still fuming at each other, because they had paid no attention to what happened whatsoever.

"If I had BOTH my arms…" Woody snarled.

"Well…you DON'T, Woody." Sora replied with a somewhat shaky laugh.

"Whatever." Jessie said as she led Bullseye away.

"I…have nothing." Sora said, "Just one big blur."

Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through Sora's head. He strained, almost tempted to cry out, as he clutched his head

He didn't even feel himself collapse…

Sora and several other toys started as they heard those two words. Yard Sale: that's what had been ringing around.

"Buzz! Do a roll call, we've got a yard sale here!" a familiar cowboy ordered from the top shelf.

It was Woody, but he still had his right arm, although it was mysteriously limp.

"Yard Sale?" A man in a spacesuit asked.

"SARGE! EMERGENCY ROLL-CALL!" Woody barked.

"Sir, yes sir!" a green army man confirmed.

All the toys suddenly gathered in a small line with the spaceman reading names off a list.

"New arrivals." he called.

"Here." Sora said.

"Here." A redheaded doll said.

"Here." A transformer said.

"Rex."

"Here."

"Potatohead, Mr. and Mrs."

"Here."

"I HATE yard-sales…" the toy known as 'Rex' said fearfully, but then heard the thunderous footsteps and turned his head a full one-eighty degrees. He yelped, then said, frightfully, "SOMEONE'S COMING!"

Sora blinked slightly from his roost atop the desk. Whatever the scuffle was between Woody and Jesse was over for now, because the two were right back in their glass cases.

"It's gone." Sora said to himself, "Was that the yard sale that Woody was in? And what did I have to do with it? How'd he get here? But more importantly? How'd I get here?

He let out an exasperated sigh. His head was just buzzing with thoughts and questions and in such a small amount of time. It had barely been fifteen minutes and, already, his head was spinning.

He laid on his back and rested his hands on his midsection.

It was going to be a LONG night…

**Prospector**

A part of Woody's Roundup Gang. He's a bit over-dignified and wants nothing more than to go to a Toy Museum in Japan. His personal shame is that his real name is Stinky Pete. He first appeared in Toy Story 2.

**Jessie**

A part of Woody's Roundup Gang. She's a bit playful and hyperactive, but has a very painful past involving her previous owner. She first appeared in Toy Story 2.

**Bullseye**

Woody's trusty steed who can 'ride like the wind'. Despite being a horse, he acts more like a canine. He first appeared in Toy Story 2.

**Al**

An obese, balding guy who's the mascot of Al's Toy Barn. He's a money-grubber who wants to sell Woody and the Roundup Gang in order to get more cash. He first appeared in Toy Story 2.


	41. Cone Crossing

Chapter 42: Cone Crossing

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." Sakuzy said as he continued walking through the shrubbery.

"Can we slow down? My parts are KILLIN' me." Potato Head moaned.

"I agree with ya, Mr. Potato." Cait Sith groaned as he plopped down and wiped imaginary sweat off his forehead.

"Rations running low…" Rex moaned, "Must rest…"

"You think YOU have it tough?" Kairi asked, pulling off one of her shoes to massage her foot, "Try walking all that distance IN HEELS."

"Alright, everyone is accounted for." Buzz reported.

"Well, not everyone." Slink corrected.

Buzz raised a brow, then asked, "Who's behind?"

"Mine." Slink answered. And right at that time, his backside walked over, almost with a mind of its own, before plopping down in defeat.

"Hey, guys!" Hamm piped up, "Why did the toys cross the road?" the piggybank asked from a slight distance away.

"Not NOW, Hamm. We're kinda busy…" Sakuzy replied.

"Oh, I LOVE riddles!" Cait Sith exclaimed, "Why?"

"To get to the chicken ON THE OTHER SIDE!" Hamm replied, happily.

The group looked where Hamm was currently focused and their eyes fell upon something that would have been stupid to most. But right now, it was the city of Shangri-La.

Just across the street was the statue of a giant white chicken wearing overalls and carrying a pitchfork. Behind it was a giant, red barn house with the words 'Al's Toy Barn' across it.

"That's where that guy took Sora?" Kairi asked.

"I'd say so." Sakuzy replied with a nod.

The toys then noticed the stretch of open road in front of the store. Several cars swiftly driving past, faster than their eyes could register. One of said cars' tires winged a soda can, sending it into the shrubbery practically flattened.

And that was only a graze…

"Oh well, we tried." Rex said as he began to walk off.

"Get back here." Sakuzy simply said, seizing Rex's stiff tail.

"We'll have to cross." Buzz said, focused on his goal.

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.

"Are you RIGHT in the noggin?" Cait Sith asked, incredulously.

"You're not turnin' ME into a mashed potato!" Potato Head snapped.

"I may not be a SMART dog, but I know what roadkill is." Slinky pointed out.

"There has to be a safer way across…" Buzz said, intent on saving his two friends, then his eyes spotted something not far from the road.

Traffic was as busy as usual for the average man in this world. But, if one had been right in the head, he would have noticed the oddity that was happening at the red light. A group of traffic cones had suddenly stood up and began walking across the street.

Buzz had gotten the bright idea of them walking across the street, hidden under the traffic cones. How no one noticed was anyone's guess.

Underneath his cone, Buzz heard the sound of approaching engines and shouted to the seven others around him.

"DROP!"

The group quickly set their cones down and, judging by the screech going on outside, cars were probably frantically swerving to avoid them. But there were plenty of other sounds outside: vehicles crashing into each other, tires running over tire spikes, and dozens upon dozens of other crashes that could have been none other than total destruction.

Buzz quickly called "GO", and the group was back on the move.

Hamm was a bit unfortunate, for a careless car had sped past him, causing his cone to spin with him in it. It made him dizzy, but really did nothing other than that.

Buzz immediately heard more traffic coming. "DROP!"

All members dropped, but they pretty much had the wrong time to do so. A massive truck carrying a giant cement cylinder tried to stop, and as the group was maneuvering to the other side, its cylinder broke loose and began to roll towards them like a massive steamroller.

Whilst blissfully unaware of the approaching danger, Potatohead accidentally stepped on a wad of gum He felt around for his shoe, found it, then placed his cone on top of it. Pulling with all his might, he managed to get it free, turn around and walk away mere moments before he could get turned into a mashed potato.

The only thing that suffered was the gum that had ensnared Potatohead's shoe. It was squashed mere seconds after Potatohead casually walked away.

As the group reached the other side, they removed their cones. And Kairi was thankful; it was VERY stuffy in there…

"Well, that went well." Potato Head said as he emerged.

Sakuzy looked back on the trail of destruction they left and simply asked, "You call THAT going well?"

Cars had smashed into each other, car horns beeped, and people shouted at each other just to vent their frustration. And, as though it was for a finishing touch, a lamppost fell down with a loud clatter.

"Well done, everyone." Buzz congratulated, "We're that much closer to Woody and Sora."

Little did they realize that they were actually going further AWAY from the two they were trying to find…

When Sora woke up, he felt that he knew more than he did last night…and saw that Woody's arm was stitched back on.

"Hey, ya got your arm back." Sora said as he propped himself into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I know. That cleaner's amazing!" Woody replied, flexing his arm, "Andy's gonna have a hard time breakin' this!"

"Good." Jessie said, obviously still grouchy, "Now you can go." The cowgirl then stormed away before clambering up a chair and propping herself up on the windowsill.

"C'mon, Sora, let's go." Woody said, indifferently.

Sora, following along, did just as Woody said. Whoever this cowboy was, he knew Sora's name and had an idea on the people he met. HE was probably his best chance of figuring out what was going on.

Woody went over to the heating vent, undid a screw in the bottom left corner, and with a grunt, pulled it open.

"Woody, please, just talk to Jessie." Prospector said, catching their attention, "She's had a hard life."

Woody sighed before walking over to Jessie. Sora looked at the two, but heard Jessie say "Lemme guess: Andy's a REALLY special kid and, to him, you're his buddy, his best friend. And…even though you're not moving, when he plays with you, you feel like you're alive…because that's how he sees you."

"How do you know that?" Woody asked.

"Because…Emily was the same way. She was my whole world…" Jessie replied with a depressed voice.

Whatever Jesse was saying, Sora didn't find out. Falling to his knees, he put his hands on his temples. It certainly didn't hurt as much as it did last time, but he certainly was conscious enough to think about what was going on…

(Flashback…)

At Rex's interjection, all the toys in the area scrambled to their respective places. Sora, a redheaded doll, a transformer, and a giant, stuffed cat hid under the bed when they heard two unfamiliar voices.

"Should he be in here?" asked a masculine voice.

"He should be." Replied a female voice.

"Who're those two?" Sakuzy asked.

"If I was a toy and I knew I'd be trashed if I was found, where would I hide?" asked the male voice.

The three key-wielders retreated further under the bed.

"Under the bed?" asked the female voice.

Immediately, two familiar figures appeared—one was a man with spiky, black hair and various ear-piercings. The other was a woman with long, blonde hair that split like a bird's tail and electric-blue eyes.

"Bingo." Grinned the man, locking eyes with Sora.

"Hey, I think Riku and Joey said something about you two before we left." The transformer said, "Xeydin and Yaxm?"

"Oh, they even know about us?" the man asked, "Well, I'm so flattered that-"

"We're not here to chat, Xeydin." Yaxm said, elbowing her partner in the gut and earning a wheeze and cough from him.

"What do you two want?" Sora asked as he pulled out a strange, key-shaped sword of sorts.

Around him, the redhead pulled out a plastic sword very similar to his own; only hers had a flower-based design. And, oddly enough, the transformer had one too; one that looked like the feathers of an eagle, but this one had sprung out of his wrist.

"Do you know if you don't get out of this world within a few days, you'll be trapped here forever?" Xeydin asked, "Well, if we want you out of the picture, we'll have to stall your return."

"Yeah, but I don't think we'll be here that long." Sora shot back, "We'll take you down and get out of here before that happens!"

"Ooh, tough guy, eh?" Yaxm asked.

Xeydin shakily stood up, then shook his head. Getting down to business, he smirked, showing off his crooked teeth. "Well, too bad. Because when this is all over, you won't remember a thing."

In another split-second, Xeydin had bolted over to Sora. Sakuzy had intercepted just as quickly and blocked with his Keyblade, which Xeydin used his right hand to block.

"Back off." Sakuzy growled.

"Letting me get in this close?" Xeydin asked, "Not the best idea."

And just as Sakuzy realized that this was a bad idea, Xeydin made his move. He used his free, left hand to tap Sakuzy's temple, causing him to scream in both pain and surprise.

"Oh, THIS is good…" Xeydin said, sadistically, then removed his hand from Sakuzy to show a silvery substance, which immediately became a sickle with a long chain and a weight at the end of it—a kusarigama.

"Think fast." Xeydin said as he began swinging the chain part. And before Sakuzy could counter, Xeydin brought the chain at him down low, catching Sakuzy around the legs. One jerk of Xeydin's arm and Sakuzy had fallen to the ground.

Kairi ran forward, but her Keyblade met with one of the prongs of Yaxm's sai. "Too slow." Yaxm smirked before pulling the Keyblade out of Kairi's hand.

Sora swung his Keyblade at Xeydin, but the Nobody swung the chain of his kursarigama around the blade, pulling it out of Sora's hand and clutched his face with his hand.

"You wanna know what I'm gonna do?" he asked.

(End flashback…)

Sora slowly returned to the world of reality. With it being not as bad as it was before, he was now able to vaguely remember something. He only knew one name, but couldn't place who this person was…

"Kairi…" he said to himself.

Woody walked over to the heating vent and opened it. He paused, then closed his eyes in long and deep thought before he slowly asked, "Who am I…to break up the Roundup Gang?"

Woody closed the vent, but Sora felt that something was not right. Every ounce of willpower in his body was ordering him to make a break for the vent. But he had no idea where he was or where he would be going afterward.

And he had the strangest feeling that, should he stay here, something would come to him again.

And right there, right then, he made his decision. He stayed put…for now.

Will Sora find what he's looking for? Will Kairi and the others find him and Woody in time? WHY am I asking YOU all these questions? Stay tuned!


	42. In the Barn

Chapter 43: In the Barn

The other members of the group had arrived at Al's Toy Barn after a long, strenuous journey. But when one journey ends, another begins, so they say.

The toys were currently hiding under a shopping cart that was (oddly enough) shaped and colored like a cow. THIS was to avoid attention from people. But when they arrived at the front door, they were met with their first challenge—the sliding door with a single-word sign stuck on the inside.

"Oh no. It's closed." Slinky groaned.

"We're not preschool toys, Slink." Sakuzy pointed out, "We can read."

Everyone suddenly hunkered down as a man, possibly an employee, made his way to the entrance. As he approached, it turned out that the store was open because the automatic door slid open.

And as soon as the employee couldn't see them, the toy group made their move. Each of them arrived on the pressure mat. All of them tried some kind of impact to try and open the door, but they were all FAR too light, and the door remained closed.

"No, all together!" Buzz ordered, "NOW!"

All at the same time, the toys jumped up and landed on the pressure mat. And like magic, the doors slid open.

"Alright, now we start looking." Sakuzy said before calling, "Hey, gramps, ya in here?!"

"Sora!" Kairi called.

"Woody!" Hamm called.

Rex then noticed something in the magazine rack—a Buzz Lightyear game guide. Apparently before this whole thing started, Rex had been trying time and time again to defeat a Buzz Lightyear video game.

He HAD to have it…

Sakuzy and Buzz ran past a blue aisle, but Buzz immediately took a few paces back.

"Buzz, c'mon! We've got a mission to do." Sakuzy said before noticing an entire aisle filled with nothing but Buzz Lightyear action figures. Sakuzy's mouth fell open as he simply said, "And you can't even find ANTIQUES of these things in my time…"

Buzz and Sakuzy walked through the aisle, looking awestruck at the action figures. Buzz then saw a particular sign: Buzz Lightyear Utility Belt.

Buzz whistled before saying, "I could use one of those."

Sakuzy put his hands together and gave Buzz a boost up. Buzz then helped Sakuzy up. The two stared in awe at a Buzz Lightyear Action Figure…with a utility belt.

In other words, it looked exactly like Buzz save a flashy accessory.

Big whoop.

"Apparently, it's IMPOSSIBLE to defeat Zurg unless you buy this book." Rex said, "Talk about extortion…"

To avoid having to listen this, Potato Head plucked out his own ears. Cait Sith, on the other hand, couldn't. He tried stuffing his gloved fingers into his ears, but it only muffled the sound.

Cait Sith turned to Potatohead, and though the spite was nowhere near visible on his face, it was CLEAR in his voice. "You're lucky."

"What?" Potato Head asked.

"Never mind." Cait Sith said, trying to avoid Rex's banter once more.

Suddenly, a small blue car drove over and screeched to a halt, earning a yelp in fright from Rex. Potato Head quickly put his ears back in and discovered that the drivers were none other than Hamm, Kairi, and Slinky Dog.

"Wow. Nice." Potato Head said, impressed.

"Hamm found this a few aisles over." Kairi explained.

"Thought we could travel in style." Hamm shrugged.

"Good thinkin'." Potato Head complimented.

"Why don't ya let someone with fingers drive?" Cait Sith asked as he pushed Hamm aside and took the wheel before driving off.

In just a few seconds, one could tell that this kitty was NOT an experienced driver. Going forward, he hit the rail in front of them. Backing up, he hit another one. And when he finally managed to get some smoother driving, he turned at the wrong time and knocked over a few boxes. A second later, there was a crash, and one word escaped the cat's lips.

"Oops."

Buzz waved his hand in front of the other Buzz Lightyear figure. This guy obviously wasn't waking up anytime soon. He matched the other Buzz's pose, then turned to Sakuzy.

"Sakuzy?" Buzz asked.

"Yeah?" Sakuzy replied.

"Am I REALLY that fat?" he asked.

"Uh…" Sakuzy said, trying to find the best way to sugarcoat his response.

Buzz then reached towards the other Buzz's belt, hoping to silently obtain a new, secret prize.

So, one can imagine both his and Sakuzy's surprise when the other Buzz suddenly came to life and grabbed the REAL Buzz's hand. He then twisted Buzz's hand around into a restraint and shoved Buzz against the plastic wall.

"Hey!" Sakuzy shouted as he caused his Keyblade to spring out of his wrist.

"What's going-?!" Buzz was quickly silenced as the other Buzz shoved him into the plastic again.

"YOU are in direct violation!" The other Buzz barked, "Protocol states that all rangers are to remain in hyper-sleep until awakened by authorized personnel."

"Look, buddy, you're obviously confused, so…" Sakuzy's statement was quickly cut-off as the other Buzz delivered a fast punch to his face.

"So, you've got a co-conspirator?! Star Command will hear about this!" Buzz 2 barked.

"Tell me I wasn't this deluded…" Buzz murmured…only to get shoved into the plastic again.

"DON'T back-talk!" Buzz 2 ordered, "I have a laser and I WILL use it!"

Buzz broke free from his double's grip and wheeled over to look at him with an irritated look, "You mean a laser that's a LIGHT BULB!"

Buzz pressed the button, which caused the little light bulb to blink rapidly. Buzz 2 gasped and jumped back onto the prop moon in his case.

"Has your mind been MELDED?!" he demanded, "You could've KILLED me, Space Ranger…or, should I say, TRAITOR?!"

Buzz 2 activated his "laser" again, pointing it at Buzz's head. But all that really accomplished was that a bright-red dot appeared right between Buzz's eyes.

"C'mon, Buzz, he's not worth it." Sakuzy said, opening the case up.

"Right, we've got a job to do—find Woody and Sora." Buzz said as the two began walking away.

"HALT!" Buzz 2 barked, "I ORDER YOU TWO TO HALT!"

"And I order you to SHUT UP." Sakuzy shot back, opening the door and hopping out after Buzz.

"Insubordination!" Buzz 2 snarled as he leapt out after the two, sending Sakuzy to the ground. He then wheeled around to deliver a punch to Buzz's face.

"Alright, THAT'S IT!" Sakuzy snarled as he held his Keyblade out and charged at Buzz 2. The double evaded the attack and grabbed Sakuzy's wrist before pulling it into a restraint and pushing him towards a pin-toy, "WAIT! NO, NO, NO! STO-"

An imprint of Sakuzy was immediately left in the pin-toy and the Future Keyblader-turned-Transformer was shoved into it.

"We've been down this aisle already!" Slinky said as the group continued racing down a pink aisle with flower and bumblebee art on the floor.

"No, this aisle's PINK." Cait Sith replied.

"Guys, we HAVEN'T and I think we just got lost." Kairi said.

"Guys?" Hamm asked as the group looked over and…saw a bunch of Barbie dolls having a pool party.

Whilst watching the partying, plastic dolls, a thought occurred to Kairi. She had recalled collecting a few when she was younger. And, looking at herself and the way these dolls acted…she was embarrassed by the simple fact.

"Excuse me?" Kairi called, getting over the urge, "Could one of you bring us to the Al of 'Al's Toy Barn'?"

"I could help!" replied a voice. The six looked up and saw a Barbie wearing a blue outfit. She slid down a slide and landed in the driver's seat, pushing Cait Sith aside before making her intro, "I'm Tour Guide Barbie! Please keep all hands, feet, and accessories inside the car at all times."

Potato Head was staring, almost adoringly, at Barbie. But, fortunately, he snapped his eyes shut and began chanting, "I'm a married spud. I'm a married spud."

"Then, make way for the single toys!" Hamm said, shoving Potato Head aside and jumping into the seat he was once occupying.

Cait Sith brought his gloved hand up to smack himself in the forehead. "Lucky pig…" he grumbled.

Meanwhile, Buzz 2 had successfully put Buzz onto a cardboard mat and tied his hands down before shoving him in.

"You're NOT the real Buzz Lightyear!" Buzz growled as Buzz 2 stood him up in the aisle, "You're a toy! WE'RE ALL TOYS! CAN YA HEAR ME?!"

"Well, that should hold you two for the court marshal." Buzz 2 said, walking away.

Sakuzy, if one remembered, was pinned in the pin-art and was currently immobile. And, realizing his current situation, said, more to himself than anything, "This is more painful than it looks…"

"And THIS is the Hot Wheels aisle." Barbie said as they continued driving through the aisles.

"Excuse me, Miss." Kairi said, "Where's this Al guy?"

"Please leave all questions until the end of the tour." Barbie replied, cheerily.

'Y'know, I always wondered why I stopped playing with those dolls…' Kairi thought.

"HEY!" Rex exclaimed, "It says how to defeat Zurg!"

Rex then put the magazine up, covering all of their faces. Every toy shouted in irritation as Barbie became disoriented and began to make several swerves.

"Rex…GET THAT OUT OF OUR FACES!" Kairi shouted as she pulled it up…just in time to see that they were quickly approaching a container of bouncing balls.

Kairi, quoting Blader in tone and pitch, said the two words best suited for the situation.

"Oh no…"

THUMP.

The car ran, headlong, into the container with enough force to cause the plastic container to move just the SLIGHTEST bit out-of-place. And, without that plastic holding them back, an entire torrent of rubber balls began to flood out.

"STEP ON IT, LASS!" Cait Sith shouted. Barbie immediately obliged.

The car immediately turned around and drove away, but was going at such high speed that it began to spin out of control. The least it did was create a wave of dizziness, but the WORST it did was blow the game guide out of Rex's hand.

"MY SOURCE OF POWER!" Rex shouted as he jumped out of the car after it…before it slid under one of the shelves. JUST out of his reach.

"NOOO!" Rex then began chasing the car, "Hey! Wait up! Dinosaur overboard!"

"HIT THE BRAKES!" Cait Sith shouted. Barbie, once again, obliged. Rex hit the trunk and stumbled before landing in the trunk…upside-down.

"Please, no more shenanigans." Barbie said as the tour continued. Kairi then noticed a familiar figure in a pin game.

"I'll catch up, guys. Looks like Sakuzy needs help." Kairi said as she hopped out of the trunk. She walked to the pin game and, with an almighty heave, pulled Sakuzy out.

"Ouch…thanks." Sakuzy said, thankful to get out of acupuncture-ville "But NEVER mention this to the others."

"Deal." Kairi replied. She then saw the car stop and Buzz hop into it, "We've gotta hurry up! They're leaving without-"

"Just lemme get Buzz out." Sakuzy said, walking over to a container with a struggling Buzz Lightyear action figure.

"Wait, if that's Buzz, then who was the guy they just picked up?" Kairi asked.

"ANOTHER action figure." Sakuzy growled, "He shoved me into those pins. Now, just help me get the REAL Buzz out."

Kairi helped Sakuzy pick up the container and place it on the ground before pulling the bottom out and taking out Buzz. Kairi undid one of the plastic twist-ties and Buzz quickly untied the other tie holding him down.

"Thanks." Buzz said, gratefully "We've gotta find the others! There's no time to lose!" Buzz immediately took off running with Sakuzy and Kairi in hot pursuit.

**Buzz 2**

Another Buzz Lightyear action figure…only with a cool-looking utility belt. He's everything that Buzz Lightyear in…and is about as deluded as he was in the first place. He first appeared in Toy Story 2.

**Barbie**

Tour-guide Barbie. She knows her way around the mall, but insists that everyone follows tour regulations. She first appeared in Toy Story 2.


	43. Rescue

Chapter 41: Rescue

"Woody? Sora?" Cait Sith called as the other toys began rummaging through the office that Barbie had dispensed them into the office.

"Pardon me, gentlemen." Slinky said to two Rock-'Em Sock-'Em Robots, "Have either of ya seen a cowboy with a bad arm or an action figure with a key-shaped sword?"

"Why no, I haven't." Blue Robot said.

"HEY! HE WAS TALKIN' TO ME!" Red Robot shouted.

"NO, HE WAS TALKIN' TO ME!" Blue Robot countered.

The two then ended up in a fistfight…ending with the red robot's head going up when the blue one's made contact with his chin.

"See, I thought the ONLY entrance was through the main gate." Rex explained, "But the SECRET entrance is to the left, hidden in the shadows."

"Shadows to the left, got it." Buzz said.

"Is it me or is Buzz takin' everything TOO seriously?" Cait Sith asked.

"Must be the belt." Hamm said.

"Somebody's coming!" Rex shouted.

The other toys quickly hid as a large man dropped a bag at their feet.

"Hey! That's the Chicken Man!" Cait Sith shouted, quietly.

"Funny, he doesn't look like poultry." Buzz said, curiously.

"Let's just get in the bag! He'll lead us to Woody and Sora." Potato Head said.

The toys quickly hopped into the man's bag, completely unseen and unheard by the man. Said man in particular had received good news on the phone and was absolutely giddy.

Well, of course ANYONE would if it was good news about MONEY.

* * *

Elsewhere in the store...

"So, you two were BEATEN up by some deluded upgraded version of Buzz?" Kairi asked.

"Hey, you think I'm proud of it? Well, I'm NOT." Sakuzy deadpanned.

"But the others are travelling with the Buzz who thinks he's REAL." Buzz said, "We've gotta catch up with them!"

A fat man burst out of a room, doing an all-too-giddy dance. The three's lightning-fast instincts saved them from sight, for they immediately hid one aisle down.

"YES! YES!" the fat man exclaimed, "Full price for the collection and a side for the collectable!"

"Wait, is he talking about Sora?" Kairi asked.

"He's gonna SELL him?" Sakuzy asked, "That means we'll be trapped here FOREVER."

"And he's got the others." Buzz growled as he saw Rex's tail poking out of the man's bag.

The three immediately began running after the man, who they guessed was Al. Buzz climbed up the shelves before jumping over to a display of baseball bats. He jumped up to a toy monkey riding a unicycle on a wire and flew over the shelves to the door as Sakuzy ran for it. The two were approaching it…JUST as it closed.

SMACK!

SMACK!

Buzz slid down and landed on top of Sakuzy.

"FIRST I get trapped in that pin mat, and NOW Buzz landed on me." Sakuzy growled, shoving Buzz off.

"Sorry, Sakuzy. I didn't think the doors would close that fast." Buzz apologized.

"Guys." Kairi simply said, "Move back…"

The two then saw what Kairi was doing—shoving a large pile of boxes over. The two quickly got out of the way as the avalanche of boxes hit the pressure mat, causing it to open.

"C'mon! We've gotta save 'em!" Buzz ordered.

"You mean to that place across the road?" Sakuzy asked with a grin, "No problem."

"But…I can't go that far wearing heels." Kairi said, "Sakuzy, could you…"

"NO. I'm NOT." Sakuzy replied. Kairi then gave him the 'sad puppy' eyes that, for one reason or another, would bend Sora to her will. "No. Those eyes won't work on me. No. No. No."

(A few moments later…)

"NUTS." Sakuzy growled as he was in his truck mode following Buzz…all the while carrying Kairi, "I've GOTTA learn to be more assertive. No is no is NO."

Meanwhile, behind them, a clawed hand sprung from a purple box labeled 'Evil Emperor Zurg: Arch Enemy of Buzz Lightyear'. Immediately, a purple robot with yellow eyes, a giant blaster for a left arm, and a black cape sprung out. His eyes lit up as they fell on his target—Buzz.

"DESTROY BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!" he chanted as he hopped out of his box and began rolling towards the three, "DESTROY BUZZ LIGHTYEAR! DESTROY BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!"

Meanwhile, at the tall, red building, the other toys had gotten out of Al's car…after he left them inside and went into an elevator. His apartment? All the way on the twenty-third floor.

"Maybe if we had some balloons, we could float to the top." Cait Sith suggested.

"Y'know what I suggest? I say we stand on top of each other, ring the doorbell, and pretend we're deliverin' a pizza." Potato Head said, impatiently.

"Maybe a HAMM sandwich…with fries and a hot-dog." Hamm said, looking at Potato Head and Slinky.

"What about me?" Rex asked.

"Ah, you can be the toy that comes with the meal." Hamm answered, nonchalantly.

"Over here!" Buzz called, pulling open a heat vent, "Just as you said, lizard man, in the shadows to the left. Now, let's move!"

"That belt's goin' right to his head…" Cait Sith murmured as the small group of toys ran into the vent.

A few minutes later, Buzz, Kairi, and Sakuzy arrived at the building. Sakuzy shifted back into his robot form and began massaging his arm.

"Ow…" he growled, "If we're coming back here and it involves travel, I'm staying BACK at Andy's house!"

"Sakuzy, we didn't see this coming." Kairi defended.

(Flashback…)

_Kairi grabbed her Keyblade and sweep-kicked Yaxm. The female nobody jumped up and thrust out her sai…which didn't do anything._

"_Oh right, my powers don't work here." Yaxm said, now feeling like a complete and total ditz, "Lucky you. Anywhere else and you would have gotten blown to pieces."_

"_And you'll be smashed." Sakuzy said, slashing with his Keyblade only to see Yaxm, nimbly, jump to the side._

"_I'm gonna remove your memories." Xeydin simply said to Sora before whispering, "And by the way, I forgot to mention that that this is gonna hurt. Just a heads' up."_

_Sora then began to scream in pain as a silver aura traveled down from his head to Xeydin's arm. Xeydin smiled, sadistically, as the process continued to a slow, then looked back at Kairi and Sakuzy before bolting off and jumping onto the windowsill, carrying Sora by the neck._

"_SORA! NO!" Kairi and Sakuzy shouted._

_Xeydin smirked before saying, "So long. It hasn't been a pleasure knowing you. Please forget to write!" He then tossed Sora all the way down, watching the Keyblader land in a box labeled '50 cents'._

"_Now, for the finale…" Yaxm smirked before jumping out the window._

"_Guys! Sora's in trouble!" Sakuzy shouted, emerging from the bed._

"_I'll take care of it!" Woody replied._

_The cowboy tried the two-finger whistle with his working, left, arm, but found he couldn't do it. An irritated groan later, he picked up his limp arm, put his two fingers into his mouth, and emitted a shrill whistle. With the sounds of enthusiastic barking, a dachshund immediately burst into the room like a noble steed. Woody hopped onto the dog and ran off to the yard sale._

(End flashback)

"Yeah, and when Buzz said that someone took Woody and Sora, we immediately sprung at the thought of chasing him down." Sakuzy remembered…he also remembered the feeling of tumbling on rock-hard concrete.

"Guys!" Buzz shouted, "Listen."

Sakuzy and Kairi walked to the heating vent and heard something—clangs and screams from familiar sounding voices…

The screams were results of Buzz 2 using magnets to climb up the side of the elevator shaft while dragging Rex, Hamm, Slinky, Cait Sith, and Mr. Potato Head in that order.

"Are we there yet?" Cait Sith asked.

"HALF…WAY…" Buzz 2 said through the strain.

Hamm felt something falling out of the slot. He looked behind and saw some of his own coins falling out of it.

"Hey, heads' up, down there!" Hamm called.

"D'oh! Look out below!" Cait Sith shouted as a penny hit him in the forehead and continued falling.

"Hey!" Potato Head shouted as he shook off some coins that landed on his face.

"ALMOST…THERE…" Buzz 2 growled.

"My arms can't hold on any longer!" Rex said as he slid down the line, bringing the others all the way to the bottom of the wire.

"TOO…HEAVY…" Buzz 2 strained before realizing something, "Of course! What was I thinking? My anti-gravity servos!" Buzz 2 pressed the symbol on his belt, which began to glow and emit a small noise, "HANG TIGHT, EVERYONE! I'M GOING TO LET GO OF THE WALLS!"

"He WOULDN'T." Potato Head said, fearfully.

"ONE…"

"He would." Hamm stated.

"TWO…"

"He will." Cait Sith said, fright in his voice.

They all began to beg Buzz 2 to not do anything stupid, but knowing THIS Buzz…

"THREE!" Buzz 2 shouted, letting go of the magnets.

With a series of frightened screams, the group of toys began to fall through the shaft, screaming in terror…until they realized that they were going up. How? The elevator was carrying them upwards…but Buzz 2 obviously thought it was anti-gravity.

"TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!" he shouted, proudly. The elevator came to the next heating vent. He turned around to see the still recovering toys, "Don't worry, men. The anti-gravity sickness will wear-off momentarily. Now, LET'S MOVE!"

"I should've stayed with Reeve…" Cait Sith murmured, removing his crown and massaging his head.

Meanwhile, there were a few stowaways under the elevator—Buzz, Sakuzy, and Kairi.

Inside the apartment, Sora was laughing. His confusion as to how he got here was replaced with excitement—he was going to a museum to be treasured like he was made of gold. Woody was feeling the same way as he was dramatizing some scenes from his old TV series.

"Now, where's my trusty steed, Bullseye?" Woody asked, "I need to ride off into the sunset."

Bullseye trotted over and Woody hopped onto his horse's back. Bullseye immediately reared onto his hind legs.

"RIDE LIKE THE WIND, BULLSEYE!" Woody exclaimed…only to slide off of Bullseye's back in a few seconds and land in a heap next to Sora. Bullseye looked embarrassed as he sidled away.

"You okay?" Sora asked as he barely contained his laughter.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Woody said. Jessie tried helping up, "No, stop that. I'm ticklish."

"Oh, you ARE?" Jessie asked with a mischievous grin. She then began tickling Woody.

In the vent, the toys had reached the cover of the vent and were trying to get a clear view. Unfortunately, they couldn't because of the thin flaps of the vent.

"Can't see…" Buzz 2 muttered.

A second later, Potatohead had popped out his right eye, which Buzz 2 slipped through one of the flaps and turned it to the right. He saw Jessie on top of Woody, but didn't really get a good view on what was REALLY going on.

"What's goin' on over there?" Cait Sith asked.

"Oh, it's TERRIBLE." Potato Head replied, terrified, "They're TORTURIN' him!"

"What're we gonna do, Buzz?" Rex asked.

"Use your head." Buzz 2 replied.

A few moments later…

"BUT I DON'T WANNA USE MY HEAD!" Rex screamed as the toys charged forward, using him as a battering ram.

CLANG!

Sora's head snapped almost a full ninety-degree angle in surprise. Even if he had his memories of past adventures, one could speculate that a group of toys bursting through the heating vent would cause one to question his own sanity.

The first figure had white and green armor with what appeared to be a large plastic bubble over his head. The others were a plastic dinosaur, a dog-like thing with a slinky in the center, a piggy bank, a potato-like thing with eyes, feet, arms, a hat, and a nose (complete with mustache), and the last one was what looked like a stuffed cat with a crown, cape, and gloves.

"THERE THEY ARE!" shouted the armored one.

"Prepare to meet MR. ANGRY-EYES!" shouted the potato, who opened a compartment in his back and pulled out his eyes. He quickly replaced them…with a pair of blue shoes. He charged forward and immediately ran into the side of a cardboard box.

The piggy bank jumped onto Prospector's box, taking it to the ground in the process, and said, threateningly, "You into Kung Fu? Well, how about I show ya some pork CHOP?"

"Guys! They're my friends!" Woody shouted, trying to reason with them.

"YEAH, WE'RE THEIR FRIENDS!" the dinosaur shouted as he hopped up.

"No, I mean THEY'RE my friends." Woody said, gesturing to the Round-Up Gang.

"Hey, you leave him alone, springy dog!" Jessie snapped to the dog, who was growling at Bullseye.

The dog, in just a fraction of a second, extended his coiled body and wrapped it around Jessie and Bullseye.

"GET 'EM AND GO!" the dog shouted.

"What? Who?" Sora asked, but that was all he could get out before the armored man grabbed him and Woody, hefted them both over his shoulder, and swiftly made their way back to the vent.

They were almost at the heating vent, until…

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Sora looked up and saw…a near-exact replica of the armored man, a doll wearing a pink dress, and a robot. The doll and robot, for reasons Sora couldn't comprehend, stirred something in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind…

"You two!" the first armored man snarled, dropping Woody and Sora.

"Guys, listen, I KNOW this is gonna sound insane." The Transformer said, but was cut off by the doll's response to seeing Sora.

"Sora!" the doll exclaimed, running over to Sora. And, much to Sora's utter surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank goodness you're okay." She said, relief filling every inch of her voice.

Sora, in one movement of his arms, actually pulled away from the doll and pushed her away at the same time. How did this doll know his name? Why did she sound so relieved to see him?

"Who are you?" Sora asked, trying to keep his head straight, but not doing a good job, "And how do you know my name?"

* * *

_This is how it feels to be Kairi right now._

_You have done so much for one person. You risked your life, traveled painful distances, and actually got hung up helping his legacy. But during your travel, you silently prayed that what Xeydin had done was a fib or lie._

_And yet, right here, right now, you know the truth. The Seeker had not lied: the person you hugged, kissed, danced with, and loved more than any other being asked who you were and how you knew his name._

_Your response is calm, yet sensitive, as though talking to a friend one has never seen in a long time…_

"_Sora, it's me."_

* * *

"I'm Buzz Lightyear." The first armored man proclaimed.

"No, I'm Buzz Lightyear." The second one said, calmly.

"I'm Buzz Lightyear." The first Buzz growled.

"I'M Buzz Lightyear." The second one said, losing his cool.

"I'M BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!"

"I'M BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!"

"HE'S BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!" the Transformer shouted, pointing at the second Buzz.

"So, who's the REAL Buzz?" Woody asked, getting up and trying to make any sense of all this.

"I AM!" the two shouted.

"Don't let this imposter fool you!" the first Buzz shouted, "He's been trained by Zurg to mimic my every move!"

Click.

Whir.

The first Buzz's helmet slid open and, almost instinctively, he immediately fell to the ground, trying to hold his breath as if the room was filled with gaseous methane. Upon seeing the flat expressions on everyone else's faces, the second Buzz held up his foot, showing the barely distinguishable 'Andy' written on the soul of his boot.

"Buzz!" the toys cheered at the sight of their TRUE friend.

"Sakuzy." Kairi called. In an instant, the Transformer was at her side, facing an all-too-confused Sora. "He…still doesn't remember."

"Maybe he just needs something to jog his memory." The Transformer, Sakuzy, suggested, "I'm Sakuzy. The guys here are Buzz Lightyear and…Buzz Lightyear, the dinosaur's Rex, the dog's Slinky, the piggy bank's Hamm, the cat's Cait Sith, and the potato head's…Potato Head. Does that ring any bells?"

Sora thought for a while before saying, "No."

"I tried that, Sakuzy." Kairi said, shaking her head. Judging from her voice, she was starting to sound a combination of concern and fear.

"Maybe…THIS." Sakuzy said, causing a blade with three feathers to spring out of his wrist.

"What's that?" Sora asked, looking at the blade with a curious expression.

"It's a KEYBLADE." Sakuzy replied, "You've got one, too. Just hold out your hand like this…"

Sakuzy held out his hand, as though reaching out for something. Sora, curious as to what the robot was getting to, mirrored him. In a flash of light, a similar weapon appeared in his grasp.

Caught completely off-guard, Sora dropped the blade, said weapon disappearing in a shower of light. He took a surprised step backward, almost losing his balance, and his breathing starting to come swiftly and shakily.

"How'd that happen?" he asked, on the verge of panic now.

Sakuzy almost gasped. Trying to stay calm, he explained, "Because you're the Keyblade's Chosen One. It chooses its master, and it chose YOU."

"I…I can't be that person." Sora said, trying to make sense of it all, "You must be mistaken. I…don't want this. I NEVER wanted this."

"Sora, you're not some ordinary person." Sakuzy said, barely resisting the urge to seize Sora by the shoulders and try to shake him violently, "You'll be the foundation of the Keyblade Order in the near future. You're the Keyblade MASTER!"

A thousand thoughts were running through Sora's head at once. Was he really this champion they were talking about? No…as far as he knew, he was just some collectible object, ready for fame and glory.

His expression darkened. No. He was NOT this 'chosen one'. He had no memory of it, so this had to be a big, fat, ugly lie.

Sora turned on his heel, then stormed away. Sakuzy looked like someone had struck him across the face, while Kairi made to pursue him.

"Sora…" she said, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder.

Sora seized her wrist, and tossed her aside, Kairi emitting a cry in both shock and pain. As she sat back up, she looked at Sora again.

"Sora, please." She begged, trying to touch something in his heart or soul.

But when he looked back at her, his eyes were no longer the warm sapphire color she remembered. They were cold as ice and the color of the sky before a storm.

"I KNOW who I am." He said, coldly and clearly, "And I am NOT your so-called 'chosen one'!"

Kairi couldn't believe what she was hearing. Despite everything she and Sakuzy did, Sora still couldn't remember anything: who he was, who Sakuzy was, the things he had done to save all worlds, the battles he had fought…

But the real blow to her was that Sora had forgotten who she was. She remembered the times they had enjoyed each other and the adventures they had, both on other worlds, and in their everyday lives.

He was gone…

Kairi slumped forward, her hand gently wrapped around her forearm like she was nursing some old wound. Her expression went through three stages…

First was shock that Sora had done this to her. She could understand her cousin, J (she had gotten her share of experience during their first mission), but this was Sora that had done this to her.

Second came pain. She wasn't seriously-hurt by the fall Sora had given her, but she felt like something dull and painful had impaled her heart. The feeling that the one she loved had done this to her, like she didn't even know who he was anymore.

Finally, there came frustration: a burning fire lighting up in her heart. She was fed up with this and, if Sora wanted this; to be nothing more than a child's toy when he was so obviously destined for something more, then there was no stopping him. She had put her foot down now.

Kairi stormed to her feet, marched over to where Sora stood, which was just in front of the TV, and seized him by the shoulder. Spinning him around, she caught him completely by surprise. And before Sora could even get a word in that he was NOT who they wanted, Kairi had raised a hand and slapped him across the face.

Even though Sora was made of plastic, for one reason or another, he felt the sting in his face.

"If that's the way you want it, then FINE!" Kairi shouted, angry tears streaming down her face, "Stay here and be trapped forever while, outside, the worlds get destroyed! Forget that you had friends who are relying on you to save us all! SEE IF I CARE!"

Sora was stunned, and considering he had no recollection of ever meeting this girl, he felt even more hurt than he felt he should have. As a result, he couldn't speak or even move as Kairi turned away and made her way to the air vent.

Sora tentatively touched the spot on his face. What she had just said was, much to his surprise, making the smallest amount of sense…

* * *

Back with the other toys, apparently, Buzz had had about as much success with Woody. That one damage from a careless play from Andy had hurt Woody's pride and, combined with the Prospector asking about what Andy would do with him when he grew up, the cowboy seemed pretty adamant in his decision to stay with the Roundup gang.

"Come on." Buzz said to the group.

"What about Woody and Sora?" Cait Sith asked, his normally jovial tone now absent and replaced with worry.

Buzz looked at Woody with a stern look before saying, "They're not coming with us."

Rex asked, "But what about Andy?"

"We'll have to be there waiting for him." Buzz answered, opening up the air vent.

Kairi wanted nothing more than to get out of here and face her problems later. But when she was storming away, her arm brushed something on her belt. She took it off and looked at it…

It was her Thalassa Shell pendant: a reminder of the boy she loved. And a part of her was begging her to keep it, for Sora's sake.

But the boy it reminded her of was long gone now. And looking at the pendant only made her heart ache even more.

She threw the pendant on the ground, then continued on her business. What good would it do?

Everyone except Buzz had gotten into the vent, and Woody was actually looking very sullen. "C'mon, Buzz. This could be my only chance." Woody reasoned.

"To do WHAT, Woody?" Buzz demanded, wheeling over to Woody, "Watch kids from behind glass and never be loved again? Some life." And with that, Buzz shut the vent, and continued down the dark, metal hall.

* * *

Sora watched them all disappear, then huffed at them. Good riddance, in his opinion. But as he turned to leave, something caught his ear. It was the voice of that transformer…

"Kairi, come on. The Seekers won't wait." He said, trying to egg someone.

Then a second sound reached his ear: sobbing. He peered over at the vent, then moved in for a closer look.

When he was close enough to look inside it, he saw a site that caused his heart to clench. Inside, Kairi was on her knees and leaning against a corner in the vent, weeping.

"But he's gone…" she said, still sobbing, "He's GONE!"

For reasons Sora didn't understand, he was feeling his heart beginning to break just by listening to this girl's despair. Why? This girl had come to him, claimed that he knew her, told all kinds of lies to him, and slapped him. So, why did his heart pang with guilt?

Sora moved in for a closer look, but he stepped on something and quite obviously felt it. He looked down to see he had stepped on a small, plastic, star-shaped charm of sorts. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand to reveal that at the topmost projection, there was a smiling face drawn onto it.

A small droplet fell onto the center of the charm mere seconds after Sora saw this. Curious as to where it came from, he reached up and touched just under his eye.

It was wet. The thing that fell onto the charm was his tear.

He didn't know that toys could cry.

Sora, just for the sake of having something to hold, put the pendant where things seemed to hurt most: over his heart. And then, immediately, his eyes widened as several things happened in his mind at once.

* * *

_He was in water, on all fours and having escaped the crushing embraces of two beings he didn't know, but felt oddly familiar to him. The girl looked down and smiled at him, holding out a hand, expecting him to take it._

"_You're home." She said, soothingly._

_Another flash later, he was right in front of the same girl. She was much younger now, but he still recognized her because of her red hair and indigo eyes. The rock they stood on cracked and she almost fell, but he caught her before she could fall into the dark abyss._

_But the rocks were moving apart and they held onto each other's hands for those few precious seconds. He spoke, his voice more boyish._

"_Kairi, you remember how you said you'd always be with me? I'm with you, too!" he said, wanting to make his point across._

"_I'll come back to you." He said, voice showing obvious sadness, "I promise!"_

_The girl responded, almost crying, "I know you will!"_

* * *

Sora's eyes were wide-open. He didn't even blink as several familiar words began to leak into his brain. The Seekers, a map, a treasure, a few names, Kairi…

But as many memories he had regained, he was still missing a few things. He didn't remember most of the worlds he had been to, some things in the past were still a jumbled mess to him, and some familiar faces had disappeared from his mind.

But at least he remembered what was important…along with what he had done to Sakuzy and Kairi in the last few minutes.

"What have I done?" he asked himself.

He knew the answer to that: what happened…happened. But he knew that, if he let the opportunity to make things right slip away, he would regret it forever.

Sora took a deep breath, then made a mad dash for the vent and shouted one name at the top of his lungs.

"KAIRIIIII!"

* * *

Kairi froze, and judging by the silence beside her, Sakuzy couldn't move or say anything either. She slowly turned around in time to see Sora stepping into the vent and repeat her name.

Sora slowed when he got close to her, then tentatively stepped closer, as though she would disappear the moment he was in arm's reach.

Kairi slowly turned, her face one of awe. At first, she was tempted to just push him away, but then it hit her.

During their reunion, Sora had never ONCE said her name. If she, or no one for that matter, told it to him, how did he know?

Because he finally remembered…

"S…Sora?" Kairi asked, quietly.

Sora dropped to a knee to look her in the eye and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

"Kairi…" he said, then gently took her in a hug, tears gently trickling down his face, "I'm so sorry…"

Kairi, who once wanted nothing to do with him, returned his embrace and began to cry once more. But there was a difference between now and then. Before, she was sad, even angry, and these tears burned like acid. Now, these were tears of joy: precious jewels that no one could take away.

He came back to her…like he always did.

"You're back…" she said with a sniffle.

Beside them, Sakuzy's face, once one of shock, slowly lit up into one of joy. "You're BACK!" He said, pulling both of them to their feet and bear-hugging them.

When Sakuzy released them, Sora racked his head and made one crucial realization. His memories…there were gigantic gaps between them.

"No…not entirely." He corrected, shaking his head.

Kairi's face fell slightly, but she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't remember everything." Sora answered, "Just…pieces."

"Well, how much DO you remember?" Sakuzy asked, curious as to HOW this would affect the mission.

"Enough." Sora answered, "I know what we're doing and some past memories…but not everything."

Sakuzy put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "I'm sure we can fix this problem later. Right now, we've got to get out of here." He explained, "The Seekers are trying to find the map as we speak."

"Yeah." Sora said with a nod, but had just thought of leaving when a familiar voice rang down the vent.

"GUYS! I'm coming, too!" Woody shouted, "I can't stop Andy from growing up…but I wouldn't miss it for the world." Woody tried climbing in, but immediately stopped, "Wait just a minute." He then turned around to Jessie and Bullseye, "Guys, how'd you like to come with us?"

"What?" Jessie asked in surprise.

"Andy will play with ALL of us!" Woody explained, excitedly.

"I…I don't know." Jessie replied, uncertainly.

"Wouldn't you like to spend just ONE MORE DAY with Emily?" Woody asked. Jessie simply thought about that. Woody turned over to Bullseye, "How about you, Bullseye?" Bullseye's response was to lick Woody's face, acting more like a loyal Labrador than a stallion, "Alright, that's a yes. Prospector, how about you?"

Woody went over to the Prospector's box and wheeled it around. But much to his surprise, the Prospector was gone.

"HEY!" Sakuzy shouted from the other side of the vent.

Sora and Woody, both from opposite sides of the vent turned around to see that Prospector was using his pickaxe to tighten the screws on the vent shut. He gave one last twist to make sure they were on tight, then removed his pick.

"Hey! You're outta your box!" Sora shouted in surprise.

"I tried reasoning with you, Woody, but you forced me to drastic measures." Prospector stated as he walked over to the remote and pressed down on it with his pick, turning the cheesy cartoon playing off.

"Wait a minute, YOU turned on the TV last night, not Jessie!" Woody snapped.

"Look, we have an eternity to spend together in the museum, Woody." Prospector said, coolly, "Let's not start it off by pointing fingers, shall we?"

"Guess you really ARE Stinky Pete." Sora said, trying to push open the vent to no avail.

"Prospector, this isn't fair!" Jessie shouted.

"FAIR?" Prospector demanded, a look of absolute fury on his face, "I'll tell you what's not fair! Spending a LIFETIME on a dime store shelf, WATCHING EVERY OTHER TOY BE SOLD! Well, now my long time of waiting has paid off and no HAND-ME-DOWN COWBOY DOLL IS GOING TO MESS IT UP FOR ME NOW!"

Prospector grabbed his box and tossed it into its foam container. And Sora had just thought of trying to smash the vent open when a silvery chain wrapped whistled into the vent, wrapped itself around his midsection like a python, then brought him smashing into the vent with a 'clang'.

"And let's not forget about our 'priceless' collectible." A silky voice Sora looked around and saw Xeydin, who looked over to Prospector and asked, "WHY did you have to screw it shut so tightly?"

"Xeydin." Sora growled.

"Oh, so you remember me?" Xeydin asked, showing his sharpened teeth in a smirk. In his hands was a weighted chain of sorts made of a silvery material that looked like metal, but also looked completely different: like some kind of white mist. "I'm so relieved that I don't have to reintroduce myself."

"Xeydin, shut up for a few seconds." Sighed Yaxm as she appeared, "He's not gonna get through the vent without getting his neck broken."

"Party pooper." Xeydin grumbled, "No cake for you." And in a shimmer of silver light, the chain-like weapon vanished.

Free from the chains, Sora massaged his neck as the chain vanished. Thoughts of some unknown vengeance was bubbling through his mind when, suddenly, a thundering sound. Footsteps. Prospector got into his box before pulling it shut before Jessie and Bullseye hopped into their respective foam containers.

The Nobodies smirked and waved, and Xeydin, being the comical sadist he was, pointed his thumb at Woody.

"Now that your scattered memories are back, how important would losing the Sheriff be to you now?" he asked, then vanished in a vortex of shadow.

Yaxm wasn't far behind him, smirking in a similarly-sadistic manner. And as soon as she was gone and the doorknob turned the slightest, Woody fell limp to the ground.

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Al shouted, "Alright, wallet, keys, passport, beef jerky, it's expensive in that country, shower…skip the shower. I'M LATE!"

Al tossed Woody into the box with Prospector before putting the boxes onto a dolly and pushing it out into the elevator.

"We've gotta save 'em." Sora said, taking a running start down the vent.

"Sora, we've gotta get back to Andy's room." Sakuzy stated, him and the other toys catching up to him, "If we're not outta here by sunrise…"

"We'll be trapped forever, yes, I got THAT memory back. But those guys are still my friends and I won't keep Woody from Andy." Sora snapped, running ahead of Sakuzy.

Sakuzy sighed to himself, "WHY does he do those things that could jeopardize us?"

"Because he's got a loyal heart." Kairi replied, crossing the distance, "It's not like him to give up on his friends. I thought you'd know that now."

Sakuzy thought it over, then scoffed. He surprised himself sometimes…

"Point taken." Sakuzy replied, "Let's save 'em!"

Sakuzy shifted into his truck form in mid-run before taking off at full speed with Kairi, Buzz, Buzz 2, Rex, Hamm, Potato Head, Cait Sith, and Slinky in hot pursuit.

There was a rumbling noise and they saw the elevator rising up. With it was an all-too-familiar robotic being with purple armor, a clawed fist, red eyes, and a black cape.

"So, we meet again, Buzz Lightyear." The robot said in a mechanical voice, "FOR THE LAST TIME!"

"IT'S ZURG!" Rex and Buzz 2 shouted.

Zurg hefted up a gun-like tool attached to his fist and Rex actually yelped in fright. "LOOK OUT! HE'S GOT AN ION BLASTER!" Rex warned in a scream.

Zurg immediately began firing…Nerf balls at the group, which they immediately started dodging. "Wait." Sakuzy said, "Why're we dodging harmless Nerf balls?"

Sakuzy simply pulled out his Keyblade and knocked an oncoming ball out of the air. But much to his surprise, Buzz 2 quickly flashed his laser at Zurg, who (surprisingly) acted like he had been injured in some way. How a little beam of light could harm a person was anyone's guess by now.

Meanwhile, the rest of the toys opened the ceiling to the elevator, where Al was still waiting to reach his floor.

Back with Buzz 2 and Zurg, the mechanical emperor kept firing balls while Buzz 2 shot small bursts of red light. Neither of their "attacks" hit at all. Buzz then saw some stray washers, snatched them up and began tossing them at Zurg like they were ninja stars.

Zurg blocked two of these projectiles with his free arm, but the third one clunked him on the head. NOW, he had a good reason to cry out in pain. Buzz 2 hid behind a metal outcropping, then readied an entire handful and jumped out to attack.

Nothing.

Where Zurg once stood, there was now empty space. He raised a brow in confusion when, suddenly, something grabbed him from behind. It was Zurg!

"Rex! We need to help the others!" Sakuzy shouted.

"BUT BUZZ IS IN PERIL!" Rex shouted.

The other toys had grabbed the back end of Slinky as the springy dog jumped down the open hatch and flipped the latches to the green case. However, the moment it was open and Woody was one step from freedom, Prospector shoved Slinky away and stuffed Woody back into the case.

"BUZZ- BUZZ- BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TO THE RESCUE!"

Those seven words were the result of Zurg slamming Buzz 2 against a support beam and activating the voice commands that were triggered by the multicolored buttons on his chest. He then spun him like a turbine before flinging him to the edge of the elevator.

"It is over Lightyear. I have won." Zurg stated.

"I'll never give in!" Buzz 2 proclaimed, stubbornly, in the face of Zurg, "YOU KILLED MY FATHER!"

"No, Buzz." Zurg corrected, then added, in a dark, moment-of-truth voice, "I AM your father."

"NOOOO!" Buzz 2 screamed as the elevator continued down the dark depths of the shaft.

"Hmm…this seems awful familiar…" Sakuzy stated, putting a hand to his chin.

"Buzz, you can do this!" Rex said to Buzz 2, "YOU'VE JUST GOTTA BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!"

Zurg held up his "ion blaster", readied at quote-unquote "maximum power" and pointed it at Buzz with an air of finality.

"Prepare to DIE!" Zurg barked.

"I CAN'T WATCH!" Rex yelped as he turned around.

Rex, being the total klutz that he was, failed to remember the length of the stiff, plastic outcropping on his body that was none other than his tail. So, when he turned around, he didn't think that his tail would hit Zurg full in the midsection. And he ALSO failed to recognize that, since Zurg's main means of locomotion was set on wheels, that the tail would send Zurg wheeling backwards. And just a foot or two behind Zurg, by circumstances unimaginable, was the edge of the elevator.

Oops.

Zurg fell over the edge of the elevator, screaming as he plummeted down into the dark, chasm-like abyss.

Rex looked over the edge and said, in total awe, "I did it…I ACTUALLY DEFEATED ZURG!"

"Father…" Buzz 2 simply wept, reaching down as though wanting to take his father's hand one last time.

"Guys!" Sora called, "We've gotta get moving!"

Rex and Sakuzy jumped down just as Al began wheeling the dolly away. The toys landed in a heap at the exact same moment that Al pushed open the door. Mr. Potatohead was the first up and, seeing the automatic door beginning to close, took off his hat and threw it in the Frisbee-style at the door.

The black, plastic headgear spun through the air like a discus and wedged itself between the doors, which were mere moments away from being closed. This allowed the rest of the toys to flocked out, and Potatohead, being the last one out, retrieved his hat before making his leave.

Unfortunately, Al had already put his luggage into his show car and had drove off, leaving the hopeful group of toys eating his dust.

"How're we gonna catch up now?" Sora asked, crestfallen.

"Any of you lads up fer pizza?" Cait Sith asked, gesturing to the side.

There, just to their side, was a conveniently-placed, pale-yellow truck with a white rocket on top that said 'Pizza Planet'. Right on the back end of it was a two-letter word: "YO".

"Good eye, Cait Sith." Buzz said as he led the toys away.

"Wait for me!" Sakuzy shouted, but immediately stopped as Buzz 2 ran across and caught a Nerf ball, "Oh, hey, Buzz 2. Wanna come along?"

"No, I've got a LOT of catching up to do with my dad." Buzz 2 replied as he tossed the ball away.

About a yard away, Zurg held out his hand to catch the ball only for it to clunk him on the side of the head. He didn't seem to mind, judging from his response, though.

"Good throw, son! That's my boy! Go long, Buzzy!" He said like a proud father, then fired another ball up into the air.

"Oh, you're a great dad! Yippee!" Buzz 2 exclaimed, showing the eagerness of a child, and ran to catch the ball.

"Well…that was odd." Sakuzy simply said before having enough of the oddity and striding for the van.

Once inside, the toys quickly took their positions: Buzz was steering, Hamm operated the levers and knobs, Slinky operated the gas pedal, Cait Sith had the brakes, and Sora, Kairi, and Rex were in charge of navigation.

"Ooh." Said multiple voices. Sakuzy and Potato Head looked up to see three short, green aliens with three eyes, little blue suits, pointed ears, lacked noses, and had a single antenna coming out of the tops of their heads, "Strangers, from the outside."

"Didn't see THAT coming." Sakuzy murmured.

"It's red!" Sora shouted as he spotted Al's car at the traffic light, "We can catch him!"

"Maximum power, Slink!" Buzz ordered.

Slinky pushed down on the gas pedal, but nothing happened. The most that happened was that it lurched slightly forward and revved its engine.

Rex gave a yelp before shouting, "IT TURNED GREEN! HURRY!"

"Why aren't we doing anything?" Buzz asked, impatiently.

"Use the wand of power." The LGMs said, pointing at something between the two seats.

Potatohead looked over at what they were pointing at—the gearshift, which was currently on "Park". He pulled on it until it was in "Drive" and, when Slinky pushed on the gas pedal THIS time, the van moved forward. Buzz steered to the direction of Sora, Kairi, and Rex. And, with three people giving directions…

"LEFT!" Sora shouted.

"No, RIGHT!" Rex shouted.

"LEFT!" Kairi shouted.

"RIGHT!"

"Left THEN right!"

Al suddenly turned a corner and, fortunately, all three navigators knew which direction he was going.

"He's turning right! SHARP RIGHT!" all three exclaimed.

Buzz turned sharp-right as they ordered, but the sudden turn caused the string suspending the LGMs to the rear-view mirror to come undone. Sakuzy, acting on pure instinct jumped near the window and grabbed the string, dragging the screaming LGMs down the side of the car.

"Oh, I seriously doubt he's getting this kind of mileage…" Hamm said, having found a driver's manual.

A sharp right turn was enough to save the little aliens from eating asphalt, along with Sakuzy pulling them back into the safety of the car. When the transformer landed on the car seat, however, one of his arms popped free of its socket. The three LGMs stood, then approached Sakuzy, holding out his detached limb.

"You have saved our lives." They said in unison, "We are eternally grateful."

"No problem." Sakuzy said, albeit uneasily, as he took his arm and reattached it.

Al's car came to a halt outside the airport and pulled into a space. Buzz drove the Pizza Planet truck and brought it to a place just ahead of it.

"Cait Sith!" the space ranger called, "Brakes!"

"On it!" Cait Sith said, saluting quickly, before pushing down on the brake pedal.

The car screeched to a halt in a parking lot, albeit in a rather awkward position. "Buzz, we can't park here. It's a white zone." Rex pointed out.

"Doesn't matter now!" Sora said as the group of toys got out of the van.

"You have saved our lives." The LGMs said in unison as they approached Sakuzy, "We are eternally grateful."

Sakuzy simply shuffled back a few paces, but much to his discomfort, the little aliens inched closer towards him the more he moved away.

"But how're we going to get in?" Kairi asked.

Buzz immediately spotted something—a pet carrier. Sakuzy saw it and immediately said, "Now way am I getting into that."

* * *

"Boy, everyone just LOVES forcing me into these situations…" Sakuzy mumbled as the group shuffled in via the pet carrier.

"You have saved our lives." The LGMs said in unison, "We are eternally grateful."

"WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?" Sakuzy shouted. Kairi couldn't help but snicker at her friend from the future's suffering.

Rex yelped before shouting, "Someone's coming!"

The toys dropped the pet carrier as a girl spotted them, exclaimed, "Oh, a puppy!" and went to go take a closer look.

"Uh, BARK-BARK-BARK!" Slinky shouted, pretending to be vicious. The girl screamed and ran off; obviously she scared easily.

"Good job." Buzz congratulated.

Al put the case with Woody and the rest onto a conveyer belt as he continued arguing with one of the employees. Something about carrying quality, but no one really cared about that.

What one employee didn't know was that, while his back was turned, the toys positioned the pet carrier on the conveyer belt and were slowly being drawn towards the packing room.

"The mystic portal!" one of the aliens said in awe.

"Now, remember. Once on the other side, all we need to do is find that case…" Buzz said.

When they crossed the threshold, all saw what the packing area was—dozens upon dozens of conveyer belts spanning what looked like miles to a toy, crisscrossing like a maze. And, as if this couldn't get even more ridiculous, there were hundreds of cases, carriers, and packs.

Potato Head's mouth fell open…as did his back to reveal a few spare parts from the wife.

Sora looked down and noticed a steep reclination then fell down a small hill and all of them fell out.

"Look! There's the case!" Sora shouted, pointing to a familiar-looking green case.

"No, THERE'S the case!" Hamm shouted, pointing his snout at another, completely identical one.

"How many green cases ARE THERE in this world?" Cait Sith groaned, clutching his furry head.

"Split up!" Buzz ordered

Buzz, Slinky, Sora, Kairi, and Cait Sith immediately took off for the case Sora noticed while Sakuzy, Rex, Hamm, Potato Head, and the LGMs went off for the one the piggy bank had noticed.

Oddly enough, Buzz had a sticker on his rear end that read 'Butte'. But, for reasons kept to himself, Sora decided it best not to tell Buzz about it. Buzz, Sora, and Kairi cleared any obstacle put in front of them, but one member of their party was not as mobile and it showed on the next obstacle.

Buzz, Sora, and Kairi hurdled their next obstacle: a case with a slightly outcropped handle. But while they did it with ease, when Slinky jumped over a suitcase, his back feet caught on the handle, halting his progress. Things got even more complicated when said suitcase went through another gateway…that was going in a completely different direction where he was wanting to go.

"GUYS!" Slinky yelped, his midsection stretching to the limit and pulling him away, "My back end's goin' to Baton Rouge!" The canine then screamed as his spring reached its limit and snapped him away to join his rear end.

"Slinky!" Buzz shouted.

Cait Sith and Kairi immediately changed directions.

"Never thought I'd say this, but don't worry. We'll save 'im!" Cait Sith shouted, "Focus on Woody!"

Sora looked at Kairi for a few seconds. He only got his memory a few minutes ago and they was already splitting up.

It would have to wait. And he just hoped that they could make it out of this mess in one piece.

* * *

The second group hurdled over obstacle cases, hoping with all their might that this was the right case. Once or twice, Sakuzy had to help Rex when he tripped. But after what felt like hours, they caught up to the familiar green case.

Sakuzy and Potatohead sprang into action, quickly getting their hands on the case's clasps.

"Don't worry, we're here." Rex said, eagerly, "We're here to save you…"

"Woody!" they all exclaimed as the case's lid flew up…

Every toy looked in to find that the case's contents were camera equipment. They all groaned in frustration at the killjoy of effort.

"Nice flash, though." Hamm shrugged.

"Bad pun." Sakuzy deadpanned.

* * *

Kairi and Cait Sith raced through the maze of conveyor belts until they finally caught up to Slinky. After a painfully fruitless effort from Cait Sith, Kairi pushed the cat aside and tried her hand on it.

"Hold still." Kairi said as she pulled Slinky's lower half free of the suitcase's handle.

"Ah, thanks." He said, sounding as though the worst cramp in the world had suddenly left his system.

"Oh, you're trying to escape?" asked a familiar voice.

Kairi and Cait Sith turned in surprise to see Xeydin and Yaxm appear in flurries of darkness.

Yaxm smirked before saying, "Too bad we can't allow that."

"Especially considering we have to call in THESE." Xeydin smirked as the two snapped their fingers.

In small bursts of black and white light, ten Nobodies appeared. Kairi remembered quite a few of them from the Castle that Never Was, but these species were nothing like she had seen before.

Five of them had feminine bodies with red and white colored bodies and floated in midair. The other five were tall, lanky, and had grey bodies. The feminine ones were Banshees and the tall ones were Mindreaders.

Kairi knew words were not going to do any good here, for she summoned her Keyblade, Flowering Strength. Cait Sith held out his fists as though ready for a good box while Slinky arched his back and began growling.

Slinky sprung out and tried to encircle one of the Banshees in his coils. But much to his surprise, the feminine Nobody flew up and over him, leaving an all-too-stunned hound in its wake.

The other four Banshees took to the air and flew above the three against them before releasing a series of small orbs from their mouth. When one of these orbs came into contact with the ground, it exploded in a blast of a strange, gray matter.

While Kairi and Cait Sith darted away from these, Slinky wasn't quite as fortunate and was immediately sent into the air. He was fortunate that he didn't go flying off the platform, but it was still a dizzying experience.

Cait Sith pointed his gloved finger at one of the Banshees. "Let's see what you lasses think of the tricks I've learned…"

Before Kairi could find out what Cait Sith was going to do, one of the Banshees opened its mouth and released a shrill screech that was eerily reminiscent of a peacock that was even MORE tone-deaf than it already was. And for reasons quite unexplained, Cait Sith froze up momentarily, and by the time he had realized what happened, the Banshee was out of his sights.

"Sacred Lifestream…" He groaned with frustration.

Kairi turned, then threw her Keyblade in a Strike Raid and the whistling blade hit one of the Banshees full in the face. It was thrown back a full meter before it vanished in a flash of white light.

She would have gotten another with her Keyblade, but a Banshee landed in front of her and let out that all-too-familiar shriek. Despite it being loud and high-pitched, Kairi felt her eyes growing heavy, as though she had suddenly been hypnotized. She didn't know why, but something about the Banshee's shriek made her feel…tired.

"Firaga!"

A massive fireball flew out of Cait Sith's extended finger before pelting the Banshee full in the face. The Banshee exploded as though it had swallowed a grenade, vanishing in a combination of crimson flame, black smoke, and white light.

Cait Sith raced over, then grabbed Kairi by the arms and shook her until she let out a shout in surprise, indicating she was back to normal.

"Lass," the cat said, "There are plenty opportunities to sleep, but now's not among 'em!"

"Th-thanks." Kairi said, still trying to get herself together. That encounter with the Banshees was a perplexing experience.

Both turned as Cait Sith raised his finger in the air. A Thundaga fell from the sky to strike the third Banshee, causing it to vanish. But when their colleague fell, the fourth and fifth Banshees teamed up and began spitting their explosive orbs at the group of three. It was as though a pair of people were shooting grenades at them.

Cait Sith was almost tap-dancing to avoid getting blown to pieces while Kairi deflected some orbs with her Keyblade. And by this time, Slinky had recovered from the initial shock.

"Slinky!" Kairi shouted, activating the dog's Limit Break.

"Golly Bob-howdy!" Slinky exclaimed as he "sat" on his rear, his whole body coiled like a spring.

Springing up, his top half sprung up to chest level. Kairi pulled back her Keyblade, then struck his top half with her Keyblade like she was hitting a home run. The impact sent his front half straight into the fourth Banshee. It didn't destroy the entity, but it sure stunned it. The fifth one sent out another explosive, but Kairi struck Slinky again and sent him directly into the ball, causing it to "bounce" back at its master, damaging it heavily.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Time to teach 'em a lesson." Slinky answered.

Kairi then let out a yell as she struck Slinky's front again. But rather than strike the Banshees, he landed right next to them and his rear end was quick to follow. He succeeded in entangling them in his coils, restraining them for that vital moment. Before any of the Banshees could so much as make a noise, Kairi had sprung into the air and carved her way through them like a blowtorch through butter. *

From a distance, Yaxm and Xeydin watched the show with an amused look on Xeydin's face and a sour one on Yaxm.

"Too bad, Yaxm." Xeydin smirked as he patted his partner's shoulder, "Looks like your Banshees weren't up to the challenge this time."

"Don't touch me." The Savage Siren snapped.

"Sorry." Xeydin apologized, retreating about a foot away. He then regained his composure before saying, "Anyway, maybe my Mindreaders are better suited for this task."

The five lanky Nobodies began to approach, almost sluggishly and not really looking that threatening at that. Cait Sith, figuring this would be over quickly, sent a Blizzaga at the group and froze one solid. The Nobody remained an icy-blue before shattering.

The second Mindreader glanced at Cait Sith and stared for one quick second before its skin morphed into a more yellowish color. In its hand materialized a staff and before Cait Sith had registered what was going on, the lanky white form shot a Blizzaga spell back at Cait Sith.

The feline robot barely dodged the freezing blast, then looked back at the white entity in curiosity. "How in Kingdom Hearts did they do THAT?"

"My Mindreaders copy whatever you throw at them." Xeydin answered with a sly smirk, "Hope you enjoy." Both vanished in flurries of darkness, but in an almost taunting way, waved good-bye to them.

The second Mindreader thrust out its staff and sent out another Blizzaga towards the tag-team. Both evaded and Kairi dashed forward and slashed with her Keyblade only to miss as the Nobody weaved away from her blade's path. Another Mindreader flashed as it analyzed her movement, then turned a more blue than yellow color. In its hand formed a long, club-like weapon.

The Nobody raised its weapon over its head, then swung downward. Kairi evaded, then looked at what happened. Turned out that the blow that came from the club was strong enough to put a sizeable crack down a suitcase's center.

Cait Sith sent a Thundaga down on the Nobody, but oddly enough wasn't enough to kill it as one of the remaining Mindreaders turned a more reddish color. The other Nobody, catching sight of its comrade, changed its color to red, too.

The two red Nobodies then tag-teamed and, much to Kairi's surprise, actually mimicked her and Slinky's Limit Break. One was striking with a sword, almost structurally identical to Kairi's Keyblade, while the other was extending its body like rubber to mimic Slinky's.

Kairi repelled each attempt at an attack with her Keyblade while Cait Sith was hopping around like a rabbit to avoid it. But blocking left them completely immobile as one of the Mindreaders turned blue and began to unleash a burst of ice spells. Said spell so narrowly missed them that part of Cait Sith's right ear was covered in a thin layer of frost.

Kairi had one idea, curious as to something Cait Sith could do to help…

"Cait Sith!" she cried.

"Reportin' for duty!" Cait Sith said, then snapped his fingers and in his hand appeared a small trumpet.

Cait Sith blew in the trumpet, which emitted the stereotypical "Charge" music, then moved back as something appeared in a puff of pink smoke: a giant, pink thing fell from the sky and landed in front of him with a "thud". Said thing had pointy ears, small wings, large arms and hands, barely-noticeable feet, and an underbite with two tusk-like teeth emerging from the lower jaw.

Kairi jumped on the giant Moogle's shoulder while Cait Sith got on its head before somehow summoning a megaphone in his hand.

"CHARGE!" the cat shouted, the megaphone amplifying his voice.

The Moogle's body coiled like a spring, then propelled itself into the air. It came down with a thundering "crash", creating a massive shockwave that stunned the two remaining Mindreaders, who were unfortunate enough to be on the ground.

As the mimickers tried to regain their senses, Kairi pointed her Keyblade and shouted, "HOLY!", firing white orbs of light at the stunned beings. Cait Sith would often retreat behind the Moogle, unzipping a zipper on its back and pulling out, much to Kairi's surprise, a pack of dynamite sticks with a lit fuse.

Tossing it over the Moogle's shoulder, Cait Sith AND Kairi ducked behind the Moogle and covered their ears. And with a loud "BOOM", only one Mindreader was left, and without any other Mindreaders to perform a break with, its color returned to its dreary, gray color. Kairi quickly drove her Keyblade through the Nobody and it vanished into nothingness.

"Good gravy, I haven't had a good fight like this since Midgar." Cait Sith panted as his Moogle vanished in gold sparks.

"Come on! We've gotta help Sora and Buzz." Kairi said.

The Princess, the robotic cat, and the slinky ran back from where they came.

* * *

Back with Sora and Buzz, they finally caught up with the green case. Buzz popped open the clasps before opening.

"Alright, Woody! Let's go!" he said…only to be met with Prospector's fist. He was sent barreling off the rail.

"Take THAT, Space Toy!" Prospector said with a look of triumph.

"Hey, NO ONE does that to my friend!" Woody growled as he grabbed Prospector. The two fell out of the case and immediately began grappling with each other. Sora joined in and summoned his Treasure Seeker. He hit Prospector over the head, but the portly toy pulled out his pickaxe and hit Sora's arm. Instead of a shattering blow, Sora's arm simply popped off. He stared at the small stump where his arm would usually be attached. Prospector punched Sora in the face and sent him to the ground.

He then walked over to Woody, who was on the ground. He put his pickaxe to the cowboy doll's arm and made a small rip in it.

"It's your choice, Woody." He growled, "You can go to Japan TOGETHER or IN PIECES. If he fixed you ONCE, he can fix you AGAIN. NOW GET IN THE BOX!"

"NEVER!" Woody spat.

"FINE." Prospector said, raising his pickaxe.

"WOODY!" Sora shouted.

FLASH!

Multiple flashes came from nowhere and blinded Prospector. Sora looked over and saw Buzz, Rex, Hamm, Potato Head, the LGMs, and Sakuzy using cameras to flash multiple pictures.

"Say 'cheese'." Sakuzy grinned.

Kairi, Cait Sith, and Slinky ran up just in time for Buzz and Sakuzy to restrain Prospector.

Kairi immediately grabbed Sora's arm and ran over to him before snapping it back on.

"I don't remember EVERYTHING, but I'm sure that arms aren't really that easy to break off." Sora said with a nervous laugh.

Sakuzy and Buzz returned, looking oddly satisfied.

"What'd ya do with Prospector?" Sora asked as he stood up.

"Oh, we gave him the…fitting punishment." Sakuzy said with a smirk.

Prospector was in a pink backpack as a girl picked it up.

"Look, Barbie, a big ugly MAN doll." She said, "Ooh, he needs a makeover."

Prospector came to and began hyperventilating. The Barbie smiled.

"Hi. You'll like Amy." She said with a smile. She then turned her face to show rainbows, flowers, and butterflies painted all over the left side of her face, "She's an artist!"

Prospector then burst into tears.

"Happy trails, Prospector." Woody said.

The group opened the case. Bullseye immediately hopped out and began licking Woody. They tried pulling out Jessie, but the case immediately fell down to where an airport employee was waiting. He put Jessie back into the case before closing it firmly.

Woody quickly whistled and Bullseye bolted over. Woody got on his steed before taking off. The group watched as he shrunk into the distance before entering into the jet. An employee closed the door behind him as the plane looked ready to take off.

"Sakuzy!" Kairi said, looking over at the future Keyblader as Sora did the same.

"Let me guess…" Sakuzy said.

"Oh look, I was right." Sakuzy said as he raced forward in his truck mode with Sora riding on him like he was a surfer. Next to them was Buzz riding on Bullseye.

They saw Woody dangling from the bottom of the plane with only Jessie's arm for support. His hat flew off of his head, but Buzz quickly caught it.

"What's a cowboy without his hat?" Buzz asked.

"Buzz! Sora!" Woody exclaimed, "Go behind the wheels!"

"Okay." Sora nodded, "Sakuzy, hit the brakes!"

"Sure." Sakuzy replied with a small bit of uncertainty in his voice. He slowed down until he was directly behind the plane's wheel.

Woody grabbed his pull-string and swung it around like a lasso. He then slung it out until it caught around a rivet. Jessie let go of the plane and the two immediately swung forward. They flew right off and onto Bullseye.

"Yeah!" Sora whooped, jumping in the air and landing on Sakuzy.

"Ow!" Sakuzy yelped.

"Sorry." Sora apologized as he got off.

"Now, THAT was Woody's FINEST hour!" Jessie whooped.

"Good job, cowboy." Buzz congratulated.

A plane then flew over their heads. They all cringed at this, but then Sora simply said…

"Let's…go home."

* * *

Reuniting with the rest of the group was easy, but finding a method to get back to Andy's room was another story. They finally saw a luggage vehicle and, frankly, hijacked it. They drove it down the city, using Buzz's map as a guide.

They finally arrived back in Andy's room.

"So…how do we get back again?" Sora asked.

"We just hop into the toy chest." Kairi replied.

"And we've only got a few minutes until our time runs out." Sakuzy said, hurriedly, "Let's get going!"

Sakuzy jumped over to the toy box and gave its lid a shove before jumping in.

"We'll see you soon!" Kairi promised as she ran to the toy chest. Cait Sith followed her as she hopped in.

"So long!" the feline robot called before vanishing into the chest.

"Guys…thanks." Was all Sora could say before running over to the toy box and closed the lid.

"By the way, has anyone ACTUALLY found out how that works?" Potato Head asked.

"Ah, if ya find out, tell me." Hamm said, nonchalantly.

**Emperor Zurg**

Evil, robotic emperor of the Gamma Quadrant and arch-nemesis of Buzz Lightyear…also his father? He wields an ion blaster that can shoot Nerf balls and (obviously) has a cold, robotic voice. He first appeared in _Toy Story 2_.

**Little Green Men**

Or LGMs for short. They're tiny aliens with very weird speech habits. Since Sakuzy saved three of them, they won't stop harassing him about it. They first appeared in _Toy Story_.

**Banshees**

The Nobodies controlled by Yaxm. They have a shriek that can paralyze males and tranquilize females. They also release balls that explode on contact with anything.

Mindreaders

The Nobodies controlled by Xeydin. Though they appear to be awkward, they're actually quite lethal depending on what you use to attack them with.

_*Slinky's Spring Smack and Cait Sith's Moogle Charge_

_Whew. This chapter took me a long time to write. What with writer's block and trying to fit the final third of Toy Story 2 into one chapter. Still, hope you all enjoy it!_


	44. A Magical World

Chapter 42: A Magical World

Radiant Garden…

The box sprung open and deposited the four onto the floor of Merlin's study.

"Ow…" Sakuzy moaned, considering he had the weight of Sora AND Kairi on his back, "Why must I put up with such pain and misery?"

"Glad to see you brought back Cait Sith." Reeve said as he picked up his animatronic pet, "Little guy's always getting in trouble.

"Oh no, HE'S back…" Archimedes mumbled.

"Thank you." Reeve said.

"No problem, uh…" Sora said before thinking.

"He…lost most of his memories." Kairi explained, "Two of the Seekers got in and wiped most of them away."

"Seekers?" Merlin shouted, dumbfounded, "Jehosophat! How'd they get in there?"

"Uh…guys?" Sakuzy asked, "You're still sitting on me!"

"Sorry!" Sora and Kairi said at the same time before getting off the future Keywielder.

Sakuzy stood up before dusting himself. He then turned around to Sora and asked, "So…where's the next map piece?"

Sora looked a bit confused, but remembered that his Keyblade had SOMETHING to do with finding the map pieces. He summoned his Treasure Seeker and it pointed towards a tome with a lightning bolt on it.

"Oh, it's pointing at THIS book?" Merlin asked, picking up the tome and holding it up, "It's like Pooh's storybook—within its pages lies another world. Be prepared for anything, my lad. This world is filled with the mysterious."

"Thanks for the tip…uh…" Sora scratched his head, trying to recall Merlin's name.

"Merlin." Kairi and Sakuzy said, simultaneously.

"Can't the Seekers get in there, too?" Kairi asked.

"Do not worry, Kairi." Merlin said, "I've put spells on this book so that only a wielder of a Keyblade can enter it."

"Sounds good enough!" Sora grinned before summoning Treasure Seeker and pointing it at the tome. A golden light flew from Sora's Keyblade and struck the tome, full on. The pages flew past as the beam seemed to search each of them. It finally came to a halt on a certain page near the end. It then began to glow as he was quickly pulled into its pages.

Not having any memory of the Hundred Acre Wood, Sora thought this was the first time he ever experienced something like this, so he did the natural thing: SCREAM.

Sora was pulled into the book before it closed shut.

"Sure he's gonna be safe?" Sakuzy asked.

"He should. Remember what Merlin said." Kairi replied.

"But does he know about Kurix?" Sakuzy asked.

—

Sora landed on the page with a dull 'thud'. He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from his mind. He stood up and noticed that the page he was standing on was of a huge, circular room with three sets of footprints approaching it.

"What's going o-"

Sora's question was cut-off as he was quickly being absorbed into the drawing of the room he was on.

_A wand waved across, leaving the word 'Hogwarts' in its wake. The title then dissolved into a shower of red and gold sparkles._

—

Sora landed on a wooden floor with a dull 'thud'. He laid, spread-eagle on the floor until a heavy breeze woke him up. He sat up. From the looks of things, he was in a castle, so how would there be a breeze? He looked over and saw a giant, three-headed dog sitting in the center of the room.

Sora's eyes bulged. Fear of waking the beast was the only thing keeping him from screaming out loud. He quickly crawled away and put his back against a wall and continued hyperventilating until his heart returned to a steady beat. He immediately saw a giant harp that was playing on its own. Obviously, it was only due to that instrument that the dog wasn't mauling him right now.

"Snape's been here." Came a voice.

Sora looked around. He was all alone apart from the giant, sleeping dog.

"Who's that?" came another, female voice.

"Do you HONESTLY think we know, Hermione?" replied a third voice.

"Uh…where are you?" Sora asked, confused.

A hand sprung out of nowhere and pulled away some form of cloth. Three kids appeared out of thin air—a boy with jet-black hair, green eyes, glasses, and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, a girl with bushy brown hair, and a boy with red hair and freckles. Sora yelped and recoiled before patting his chest.

"How the-where did…what just happened?" he stammered, still trying to calm down.

"Uh…that was an invisibility cloak." The kid with black hair said.

"A WHAT?" Sora asked before inhaling deeply and exhaling, "Sorry. It's just…I don't think I've seen stuff like that."

"What do you mean 'you think'?" the red head asked, "If you saw something like that, I think you'd remember it or not."

"Well…"

"I don't think that matters, Ron." The girl replied in a kind of bossy-sounding voice. She looked over at the harp, "I think Harry's right. Snape's enchanted this harp to keep playing."

"Who're you guys?" Sora asked.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter." The boy with glasses replied.

"I'm Hermione Granger." The girl introduced.

"Ron Weasley." The redhead simply said.

"I'm Sora." Sora said, "So, what're you guys doing here?"

"Should we tell him?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

"Dunno." Ron simply shrugged.

"I think we should-" Harry immediately shushed Hermione.

"Does it seem a bit quiet to you?" Harry asked.

Sora looked over to the harp and said, "The harp! It stopped!"

Something immediately dropped and hit Ron with a SPLAT.

Ron reached over to his shoulder and touched it. The thing he touched? Saliva from a canid. Or, simply, dog drool.

"YUCK!" Ron said.

Four heads looked up and saw that the three-headed dog was awake. It growled as all of its heads bared their teeth. Sora immediately rolled out of the way of one of the oncoming jaws.

Sora had faced a giant, three-headed dog in the past. But, of course, he didn't remember that fact. So, he did the thing that most inexperienced people would do in his place—PANIC.

He saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione run beneath the dog's legs. Sora registered this and decided that it would be preferable to being eaten alive by three dog heads. He dodged another strike from the dog and rolled under the beast's legs. When he finally got between the dog's legs when he realized what it was standing over—a trap door.

He screamed as he slid through the trapdoor, leaving the giant dog behind. Judging by the screaming, Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't that far ahead. He then landed with a soft 'FLUMP'.

He looked around to see a mass of thick, grayish-green tendrils that had cushioned his fall. Judging by the feel of what he landed on, his fall had apparently been broken by a plant of sorts. He looked over and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the giant plant.

"What WAS that?" Sora asked, still trying to calm down.

"Fluffy…" Harry replied, gasping for air.

"Who would name a GIANT DOG like that 'FLUFFY'?" Sora demanded.

"Our biggest friend." Ron replied with an irritated edge to his voice.

"We're just lucky that Fluffy didn't rip us apart." Sora said before learning his head back.

"More like lucky this plant thing's here." Ron corrected.

"LUCKY?" Hermione shouted.

Sora looked over, but felt something creeping around him. The plants tendrils began to wrap around his arms, legs, shoulders, and mouth. Since the plant locked around his neck, he couldn't turn around, but he could tell the same thing was happening to the other three. He tried struggling free, but the vines simply tightened around him like a python with a deer.

"Don't struggle." Hermione said in a surprisingly calm voice despite the threat of apparent doom by being crushed by vines, "This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster."

"Kill us FASTER?" Ron shouted as he tried to pull the vines off of him to no avail, "NOW I can relax!"

Hermione simply let loose a small sigh before she vanished into the mass of vines.

"HERMIONE!" Harry and Ron shouted. Sora tried, but the vine in his mouth cut off his voice.

"NOW WHAT'RE WE GOING TO DO?" Ron shouted as his efforts to pull off the vines doubled.

"Just relax!" Hermione's voice called.

"Hermione, where are you?" Harry called.

"You have to relax! Trust me!" Hermione's voice replied.

Sora couldn't see a better way out. He closed his eyes as his efforts to pull the vines off slowly came to a halt. He let out a sigh as he relaxed his muscles. He felt the plant retreating from under him. He fell out of the mass of tendrils and landed with a thud on a stone floor. He stood up slowly and began massaging the back of his head. Landing on a floor made entirely of stone was no picnic.

He looked over and saw Harry and Hermione standing next to him. Apparently Harry had also taken Hermione's advice. Ron, however…

"HARRY! SORA!" he screamed.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Hermione asked.

"Obviously not." Sora replied.

"Is there anything we can do?" Harry asked Hermione, hurriedly.

"Wait…I remember reading something about it in Herbology…" Hermione said, thinking as hard as he could as Ron's screams began to get, steadily, louder, "Devil's Snare…Devil's Snare…thinks killing's fun…and it sulks in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight!"

Hermione pulled out a thin piece of wood and pointed it at the writhing vines above them. She said something in a language Sora couldn't understand, but a bright flash of light flowed from it. The Devil's Snare immediately began to retreat as if the light was burning it.

With a small yelp, Ron landed on the ground.

"Lucky we didn't panic." The redhead said as he stood up and dusted himself.

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology." Harry corrected.

Sora was staring, slack jawed and bug-eyed, at what had just happened.

"What was THAT?" he simply asked.

"That was magic." Harry simply said.

Sora stared before saying, "Okay, I'll just take this as it comes."

He was barely in this world for an hour and yet he had nearly been KILLED.

"So…what're you doing here?" Sora asked as he walked over to Harry.

"Trying to find the Sorcerer's Stone." Harry replied.

"The what?" Sora asked.

"They said the exact same thing." Hermione pointed out, pointing at Harry and Ron.

"It's a stone that can cause people to become immortal." Harry replied, "We think that a Dark Wizard named Voldemort is after it."

The second Harry said the name 'Voldemort', Ron and Hermione immediately flinched.

"What's with them?" Sora asked.

"People are still scared to even say his name." Harry replied.

"Why?" Sora asked.

"Vol…You-Know-Who was a very dangerous Dark Wizard." Harry replied, "He was a strong wizard and was steadily getting stronger. He then started gathering followers. Anyone who stood up to him wound up dead…including my parents. He tried to kill me…I don't know why, but something stopped him. Instead of killing me, he vanished without a trace. The only thing I got out of it was THIS."

Harry brushed aside his bangs to show his lightning bolt scar.

"Did he die?" Sora asked.

"No." Harry replied, "I met him in the Forbidden Forest not too long ago. He wants the Stone and is using a teacher, Professor Snape, to get it. We're trying to stop him because if he gets that stone, he'll come back."

"Oh. I'm trying to find something, too." Sora replied, "And I think it could be close to what you're looking for."

Sora summoned his Keyblade as it began to glow and point ahead of them.

—

The four entered a circular room with a broomstick in the center of the floor. There was a single door with a silver handle in front of them and what appeared to be birds fluttering above them.

Sora walked across the room, gripping his Keyblade tightly and expecting the birds to attack him any second. However, he made it across the room and the birds hadn't moved in the slightest.

"It's safe!" Sora called.

The other three ran across the room. Ron grabbed the handle and tried turning it. No luck.

"Aloha Mora!" Ron shouted, pointing his wand at the lock. Nothing.

Sora, on instinct, raised his Keyblade. The tip began to glow as a beam of light shot out and hit the lock. There was a small rumbling, but nothing happened.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"I…don't know." Sora replied, uncertainly, "Guess there's still a lot I can't remember."

Harry looked up at the birds and immediately noticed something, "These aren't birds. They're keys!"

Sora looked up and saw that the birds were, indeed, flying keys in various shapes and sizes.

"And I think ONE OF THEM opens the door." Harry said.

"We're looking for an old-fashioned key." Sora said, looking over the handle.

"Probably silver, like the handle." Hermione added.

Harry looked through the sea of keys and immediately exclaimed, "There! The one with the broken wing!"

Sora looked up and saw a key that matched their description, flying limply through the air. One of its wings was tattered, as if someone had shoved it, roughly, into the door already.

Harry walked over and grabbed the broomstick. Immediately, the keys swarmed together before charging at Harry, full on. One of Harry's hands flew up, instinctively, to defend his face. His other hand had a firm grip on the broom as it slowly rose into the air. Harry then took off with the keys trying to pierce his skin or knock him off his broom.

Sora saw Harry fly through the air and doing spectacular stunts on the broom.

"Boy, he can really ride that thing." Sora said, amazed.

"What do you expect from the youngest Seeker in a century?" Ron asked.

"Seeker?" Sora asked.

"How long have YOU been under a rock?" Ron asked, shaking his head.

Harry then flew towards the group with the silver key in hand. He tossed it to Sora, who roughly jammed the key into the lock before unlocking the door and flinging it open. Harry jumped off his broom as the keys flew directly at them. The four quickly ran through the door before slamming it shut.

"Fun never stops around here, doesn't it?" Sora asked, jokingly.

"No. I wish it WOULD sometimes, though." Harry replied.

The four continued further into the depths of the cavern, ready for whatever waited on the other side.

Harry Potter

An eleven-year-old wizard. When he was a year old, the Dark Wizard, Voldemort, killed his parents and tried to kill him. For some reason, the spell didn't work and Voldemort's body was destroyed. This caused Harry Potter to become famous. But he's still a rookie wizard, but is an excellent Seeker in the popular wizard sport, Quidditch. He first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Hermione Granger**

A witch with a good memory and high IQ. She was born to non-magic parents, but had the power of magic anyway. When she first met Harry and Ron, they didn't get along at all. But after an incident with a troll, the two became her friends. At times, her intellect has been vital to their schoolwork. She first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Ron Weasley**

A pureblood wizard. He first met Harry Potter on the train and became friends with him almost instantly. Being born to a completely magical family, he has a few vital tips on the magical, but often his stomach gets in the way. But he's still a loyal friend and an excellent chess player. He first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Fluffy**

A giant, three-headed dog who guards a trap door to the Sorcerer's Stone. He's owned by a "big friend" of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. His weakness? Music makes him sleepy. He first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Devil's Snare**

A vine-like plant with murderous tendencies placed to guard the Sorcerer's Stone by the Herbology Teacher. If you panic, it tightens its grip. If you relax, it releases you. Also vulnerable to sunlight. It first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Flying Keys**

A swarm of keys that were enchanted to fly and guard the stone by the Charms Teacher. The only way to unlock a door is by catching the right one and even then, they'll attack. They first appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.


	45. Voldemort

Chapter 43: Voldemort

The group of four arrived in a dark room. Suddenly, torches lit up and the light their flames brought with them revealed an odd sight. There were twelve stone figures, hunched over in front of them, two figures with drawn swords held below their hands, a set of people on horses, another set of people on the top of what appeared to be towers, and a final set of people holding staffs.

"What is this?" Sora asked, "A graveyard?"

"No, it's not." Ron replied, a smile stretching across his face, "It's a chessboard!"

Sora looked down and saw that the floor was comprised of black and white squares.

"There's the door!" Hermione shouted, pointing just over the King. They made to advance, but all the pawns drew their swords to block their advance. They froze in their tracks as the pawns sheathed their swords.

Ron looked over at the black side of the board before saying, "Looks like we have to play to get across. Harry, you're the king-side Bishop, Hermione, you're the queen-side castle, Sora, you'll be the queen-side knight, and I'll be the king-side knight."

The mentioned pieces Ron mentioned on the black side walked off the board before standing still. Sora and Ron got onto the abandoned knights as Harry stood to Sora's right and Hermione on his.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"Well, white moves first." Ron said, "Then…we play."

One of the white pawns slid forward two spaces.

"Ron, is this going to be like ACTUAL Wizard Chess?" Hermione asked, nervously.

Ron pointed to the middle pawn and ordered, "You there! MOVE!"

Their pawn slid forward until it was diagonal from the pawn that just moved. The white pawn drew its swords before plunging it into their pawn, shattering its stone body.

"Uh…yes, Hermione." Ron replied, nervously, "I think this is going to be EXACTLY like Wizard Chess."

—

The game was nearing its end. The black pieces were scattered across the board, but were being taken out by the White Queen, one at a time. Sora was placed just in front of the Black King, cutting off his retreat.

Ron was looking more and more determined as the game progressed. Often he noticed situations where one of his three friends were in danger and managed to take the piece threatening them just in time.

He looked at the Queen and then at the King before sighing.

"Looks like there's no other option." Ron said, "If I move, their Queen will take me, then Harry's free to check the King."

"Ron, what're you talking about?" Sora asked.

"What's he saying?" Hermione asked from the other end of the board.

"He's going to sacrifice himself!" Harry replied.

"No, you CAN'T!" Hermione shouted, "There must be another way!"

"Do you want to get to the Stone or not?" Ron asked. He then looked at Harry and said, "It has to be YOU. Not ME, not Hermione, YOU. Knight to E-5!"

Ron's horse then moved forward until it stood just a few squares next to the Queen.

"Check." He said in a quiet voice, bracing himself for the oncoming attack.

The Queen turned around to face Ron before slowly sliding forward until it was directly in front of Ron. She drew her sword before impaling Ron's horse, shattering it and causing the redhead to fall on the ground and lie still.

"RON!" Sora shouted.

Hermione made to run to her friend's aid, but Harry pointed a finger at her and shouted, "Don't move! We're still playing!"

Harry then slowly walked in a diagonal pattern until the king was just one square away from him.

"Checkmate." Harry simply said.

The king dropped his giant sword. It hit the ground with a loud 'CLANG'. They won the game.

Sora jumped off his horse as the three converged upon Ron's motionless form. Hermione checked his pulse.

"He's alive." Hermione said.

"Whew. Thank goodness." Sora said.

"You two have to go back." Harry said, "Find the broom back in the Key Room and send an owl to Dumbledore. Ron's right…it has to be me."

"No." Sora simply said, "I'm coming with you. Whatever my Keyblade's looking for is right ahead."

"But…"

"Free will." Sora said, "No stopping me."

"You're a great wizard, Harry." Hermione said.

"Not as great as you." Harry replied.

Hermione scoffed, "Me? Books and cleverness. You're greater than me because you have better qualities—friendship and bravery. Now, no matter what happens, don't let Voldemort take that stone."

"I won't." Harry said before running to the door, Sora right next to him.

—

Harry and Sora had walked through a dark corridor for what felt like hours. Sora's Treasure Seeker constantly pulling him forward as its golden light steadily got brighter and brighter. They finally came into a circular room where a large mirror stood. The mirror had a golden lining, ended in clawed feet, and an inscription in a language Sora couldn't decipher on the head.

Standing in front of it was a man with purple robes and a turban wrapped around his head.

"You." Harry gasped.

The man turned around with a cynical sneer on his face.

"ME." He said, "I wondered when I'd be seeing YOU, Mr. Potter. And I see you've brought a Keyblade Master with you."

"Wait, what?" Sora asked, "Who are you and how do you know about my Keyblade?"

"My name is Professor Quirrel." The man replied, "And thanks to my master, I know about your special blade."

"But…Snape…" Harry stammered.

"I know. He DOES seem the type, doesn't he?" Quirrel asked, "Next to him, who would suspect p-poor stut-stuttering Professor Quirrel?"

'Who's Snape?' Sora thought.

"B-but at the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me." Harry said, trying to make sense of everything. Sora was still lost.

"No, no Mr. Potter. I tried to kill you." Quirrel corrected, "If Miss Granger hadn't set fire to Snape and broke my eye contact, I would have knocked you off that broom…even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse trying to save you."

"Snape was trying to save ME?" Harry asked, "He always seemed to HATE me."

"He did." Quirrel replied, "And I wouldn't have had so much difficulty if that dog had bitten his leg off properly when I let the troll in on Halloween."

'And I thought I was confused back in Toy Zone…' Sora thought.

Harry suddenly winced as his hand flew to his scar.

"He wouldn't leave me alone after that." Quirrel continued, "But he didn't understand. I'm NEVER alone…never. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see how this interesting mirror works." Quirrel turned over to the mirror and seemed to murmur, "I see the stone…I'm presenting it to my master…but how do I GET IT?"

"Use the boys…" came a weak voice.

Quirrel wheeled around to face Harry and Sora, "YOU TWO! COME HERE, NOW!"

Mind blanked by fear, Sora and Harry walked forward until they were about a few feet in front of the tall mirror. Sora stared as his reflection smiled and pointed to Harry's pocket. His reflection summoned the Treasure Seeker, which began to glow and vibrate next to Harry's pocket. Sora's reflection winked before dismissing the Keyblade and getting Sora's pale fear face.

Harry's hand felt his pocket. His green eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you see?" Quirrel asked, impatiently.

"I…" Sora stammered, but couldn't get the right words out.

"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore." Harry said, "I-I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

"He lies!" the voice accused.

Quirrel wheeled over to the two shouted, "TELL THE TRUTH!"

"Let ME speak to them…" the voice said.

"Master, you're not strong enough." Quirrel said.

"I have strength enough for this." The voice replied.

Sora just stared, confused and scared again. What was going on NOW?

Quirrel grabbed part of the wrapping of his turban and began to slowly unwrap it. His head was completely bald and looked unusually small without the turban. He then pulled off the final fold. Harry's hand flew to his scar as he let of a hiss of pain and Sora nearly screamed in terror.

Where there should have been the back of a head, there was instead a face. It was pale white, had burning red eyes with slits of pupils, and snake-like slits for nostrils instead of a nose.

"Harry Potter and the Keyblade Master…" the other head said to the two in front of it, "I am glad you could join us…"

"Who-who're…" Sora stammered again. He couldn't help it or put a finger on WHY. Something about this other face sent terror directly into his heart.

"Voldemort…" Harry simply said.

"Yes." The face, Voldemort, replied, "You see what I have become? What I must do to survive? Live off another, a mere PARASITE. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can…something that you have in YOUR POCKET."

Harry immediately wheeled around as did Sora. The two tried running away, but Quirrel snapped his fingers. Flames immediately erupted from the entrance, cutting off their exit.

"Why suffer a painful death when you can both join ME and live?" Voldemort asked.

"NEVER!" both Sora and Harry shouted in unison.

Voldemort gave a small scoff before saying, "Courage. Key-wielders are known for it, so were your parents. Together, we could bring back your parents and destroy the Seekers…or find the ancient treasure before them."

Harry's hand slowly slid to his pocket and pulled out a small, blood-red stone. Sora's Treasure Seeker suddenly appeared in his hand and pointed directly at what Harry pulled out—the Sorcerer's Stone!

"Yes, Harry." Voldemort said, "There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Just give me the stone!"

Harry then clutched the stone tightly in his fist. Sora looked over at his partner and was about to tell Harry to not do it, that it wasn't worth it. But Harry seemed to be a step ahead of him.

"LIAR!" Harry shouted.

Voldemort's immediate response was to shout at Quirrel, "KILL HIM!"

Quirrel flew at the two with his hand outstretched.

"HARRY!" Sora yelled, activating a Limit Break.

"FLOOPENDO!" Harry shouted, sending a burst of sparks from his wand. They pelted Quirrel, full in the face. Harry then thrust out his wand to touch tips with Sora's Keyblade.

"FLOOPENDO!" Harry shouted.

"LIGHT!" Sora shouted.

Sparks of pure light flew at Quirrel and pelted him multiple times in the chest. He screamed in pain before falling to the ground (1). However, Quirrel stood up and grabbed the two by the necks. Harry reached out his hand and grabbed Quirrel's hand. The professor screamed in pain before releasing the two as if his hand had been burned…which wasn't TOO far from the truth.

Sora massaged his neck and saw that Quirrel's hand had been turned into some form of gravelly material and crumbled away into dust.

"WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?" Quirrel shouted.

"FOOL! GET THE STONE!" Voldemort commanded.

Harry then got an idea. He lunged forward as Sora summoned his Keyblade. Harry's hands clutched Quirrel's face as Sora's Keyblade went through his chest. He screamed as his entire body turned into the gravelly substance and crumbled away.

Sora and Harry looked at each other, grinned, and let out a few chuckles.

Sora's Keyblade immediately pointed at the Sorcerer's Stone. A beam of light shot out of the tip and hit the stone. It slowly pulled away, dragging a small piece of parchment with it.

'I guess this is the map fragment…' Sora thought.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"What I came here for." Sora replied. He held out his hand, which Harry shook, "Y'know, once you've been so close to death with someone before, I don't think you'll forget about him."

"Yeah. I think so, too." Harry replied.

Their shake ended as a smoke-like substance began to emerge from Quirrel's remains. The two looked over and saw that it had taken on the same form as Voldemort's face. It let out a scream before flying straight through Harry. Harry let out a scream as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Voldemort flew off through the corridor.

"Harry?" Sora said, shaking Harry, "HARRY?"

Sora suddenly began to glow with golden lights as he slowly faded from this world.

**Giant Chess Set**

A set of chess pieces that were set up by the Transfiguration Professor so that they would grow to gigantic sizes. The only way to get past them is to beat the white side in a game. They made their only game in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Professor Quirrel**

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. Normally, he's very timid and stammers, but he showed his true nature when he sought the Sorcerer's Stone after sharing his body with Voldemort. He met his end when he came into contact with a special protection spell created by Harry's mother's sacrifice. He appeared in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

**Voldemort**

The most powerful Dark Wizard in centuries. He killed MANY people during his reign, including Harry's parents. However, when he tried to kill Harry, he was stripped of his body and went into exile…until ten years had passed. Then, he met Quirrel, who allowed him to share his body. He sought the Sorcerer's Stone to become all-powerful again. He began his rampage in _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_.

_I just couldn't resist throwing in this world. I am an avid Harry Potter fan, after all._

_Sorry that this one was pretty short._


	46. Reacquainting with Quartz

Chapter 44: Reacquainting With Quartz

Sora reappeared next to Sakuzy and Kairi.

"HARRY?" Sora shouted.

"What the-?" Sakuzy yelled.

Sora looked around, wildly, as he panted. Sweat trickled down his face as he took in the surroundings of Merlin's House. Reeve had obviously left with Cait Sith, so only Kairi, Sakuzy, and Merlin stood around him.

"What happened, Sora?" Merlin asked as Sakuzy and Kairi helped the Keyblade Master to his feet.

"I-I found the map piece." Sora stammered as he held out the piece of parchment.

"That makes two pieces we've found." Sakuzy said as he held out the piece of parchment they had previously collected from Rat Paris.

"What happened to him?" Sora asked Merlin as he staggered up, "What happened to Harry?"

"I do not know." Merlin replied, somberly. He then took the book with a lightning bolt on it before handing it to Sora, "But if you want to find out, you can take it with you."

"Really?" Sora asked, looking at Merlin.

"Yes, you may." Merlin answered.

"Thanks." Sora simply said before taking the book.

"We've got what we came for, gramps." Sakuzy said to Sora, "I think we should be going now."

"Don't I tell you to not call me that?" Sora asked, more uncertainly than rhetorically.

"Yes, you do." Kairi replied.

The three were suddenly caught in a beam of light before vanishing.

—

Quartz…

The three key-wielders rematerialized in Quartz's main control room. Sakuzy and Kairi looked fine, but Sora immediately staggered back in shock.

"DANG, that was weird." Sora said.

"You get used to it after a while." Sakuzy replied with a shrug.

"I'm glad to see that you've returned." Quartz's voice said. In a flurry of lasers, his face appeared, "Welcome back."

Sora jumped back a bit before saying, "Nice to see you again…uh…"

"Quartz." Kairi filled in.

"Yeah, nice to see you again, Quartz." Sora corrected himself with a nervous chuckle.

"You…don't remember me?" Quartz asked, face falling a bit, "We've known each other for over a year now."

"Great, now his feelings are hurt." Sakuzy said.

"Quartz, it's not his fault." Kairi explained, "We had…an incident in Radiant Garden and a Seeker removed his memory."

"Oh." Quartz simply said. His face became its usual stern/solemn expression before saying, "This could prove to be a difficulty. Kairi, try and help remind Sora of as many memories as possible. Sakuzy…take a break."

"Thanks. I've had to put up with a lot." Sakuzy said. He immediately felt his pockets and pulled out the three Little Green Men from Toy Zone, "Huh. These guys must've stowed away with me. I know! I'll give 'em to Jim for Christmas!"

Sakuzy shoved the LGMs back into his pocket before walking to his room. Kairi led Sora away as Quartz continued steering through space.

"This my prove difficult in the long-run." The Crystalli said to himself.


	47. The Sonic Rapper

Chapter 45: The Sonic Rapper

Manhattan…

"Stop right there!" Joey shouted as he, Maya, and Riley chased a cloaked Seeker through the streets of late-night Manhattan.

"I'd love ta stay and scrap, but da boss-man says I'm shouldn't." The Seeker replied in a voice that sounded like a black rapper.

"Any idea what he said?" Maya asked Riley.

"To be honest, no." Riley replied.

_The silhouette of a city appears as multiple balls made of white material splash on it, forming webs. The word 'Manhattan' got caught in it before dissolving._

Joey summoned his Chain Thrasher before firing its blade at the Seeker. He simply summoned a large, razor-sharp metal disk before deflecting the strike.

"Dat's one wicked Keyblade, yo. Not as good as da big man's, but still awesome." The Seeker said.

"What's with the rapper-lingo?" Joey asked as he retracted his Keyblade and pointed it at the Seeker.

"Looks like I got no choice here." The Seeker shrugged before pulling off his hood. He had dark skin, black hair in dreadlocks, and hazel eyes, "Da name's Xedge, numbuh six of da Seekers. Dey also call me da Sonic Rapper, yo!"

"You know this is just killing the author to write this." Riley stated, "Still not sure if this is racist or not."

"Now, watch as I make music!" Xedge shouted as he brought his hands together, sending a burst of sonic energy to the group, sending them flying.

"That nearly popped my eardrums…" Maya said as she regained her composure.

"WHAT?" Riley asked, rather loudly.

"Now, here comes da BOOM!" Xedge said as he summoned another giant disk before zipping at Joey. The future Keybearer barely blocked the strike by placing his Keyblade between the two oncoming disks.

"How do you like THIS?" Joey asked as he pressed the button.

His Keyblade's head flew at Xedge's face, sending him tumbling to the ground. Xedge span on the ground, sending a sweep-kick at Joey. He jumped over the attack and sent his Keyblade flying at Xedge, who rolled over and sprung up, slashing Joey with his disk.

Maya charged in with her Treasure Seeker, but Xedge spun his disks and slammed one into the other, making a high-pitched screech. Maya was immediately immobilized as she clutched her ears to try and block out the sound.

Joey clutched his wound as he staggered up, using his Keyblade as a crutch.

"HEAL." He said, activating Curaga, healing the majority of his wound, but leaving a scar, "Never was good at these…"

He shot his Keyblade's tip at Xedge again, but the Rapper deflected it with one of his disks, ending the metallic screech. However, Maya was on the ground, still clutching her ears and obviously still suffering from the side effects of the sound blast.

"Hey, need a hand?" a voice asked.

A man wearing a red and blue suit with black webbing across it swung down on a web. He landed right next to Joey and looked over to the futuristic Key-wielder. He had a white material over his eyes, so Joey couldn't make out who it was.

"Joyex?" he asked, "Is that you?"

Joey looked over his shoulder to see if the costumed man was addressing someone else and asked, "Are you talking to me?"

"Sorry. Mistook ya for someone else." The man said, apologetically, "The name's Spider-Man."

"Joey." Joey replied, "The guy who's deaf is Riley and the girl on the ground's Maya."

"What about that guy with the cloak?" Spider-Man asked.

"Da name's Xedge, yo." Xedge stated before throwing his disk at the two. Joey and Spider-Man evaded the disks by jumping in the air and twisting around. Spider-Man shot some webbing at the closest disk to him and caught the bladed projectile before swinging it right back at Xedge.

The Sonic Rapper evaded the strike and caught his disk before jumping over Joey and catching his other disk.

"Can he do that?" Joey asked.

"Looks like it." Spider-Man replied.

Xedge then began spinning one of his disks before slamming it on the disk in his right hand, releasing a high-pitched screech. Joey screamed as he clutched his ears, but Spider-Man sent out a burst of webbing at the metal disks. The artificial webbing hit the set of disks right where they met and they immediately stopped.

"NOT cool!" Xedge growled before dismissing his disks, "You ain't seem the last o' me, suckuhs!"

Xedge then vanished in a flurry of darkness.

"That was weird…" Joey said as he recovered from the blast of sound.

"I've seen weirder." Spider-Man shrugged.

Maya got up and walked over to Riley, "Are you okay, Riley?"

"What?" Riley asked, still trying to clear out his ears.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Maya asked, loudly.

Riley looked at his watch before saying, "Half-past, why?"

"Well, that's gonna take a while." Joey said.

"So, do you have any place to hang around?" Spider-Man asked.

"No, not really." Maya replied as she led Riley towards the two. She summoned her Treasure Seeker and gave it an experimental wave. Nothing happened, "I don't get it. We got rid of the Seeker. This should be acting up."

"Oh, you guys have Keyblades, too?" Spidey asked, "Met a few guys about a year ago who had 'em. What's up with this one?"

"We're…looking for something." Joey replied, shakily, "And whenever there's something dark-ish around, it usually blocks the signal this thing gets."

"Come to think of it," Spider-Man said, putting a hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner, "I have seen a few Heartless running around town recently."

"I think we found the source of our trouble." Joey said.

"Personally, I prefer Minesweeper." Riley said, loudly.

"STILL can't hear us." Maya sighed.

"How about I give ya a hand?" Spider-Man asked, "I know this city like the back of my hand."

Joey looked at Maya as if asking what she thought. She was in charge, after all. She thought for a while before saying, "Sure. You can help."

**Xedge**

Number Six of the Seekers, also known as the Sonic Rapper. Xedge attacks his enemies with the power of sound and two razor-sharp metal disks. He talks in cliché rapper lingo, so he's often hard to understand.

**Spider-Man**

The iconic hero of Manhattan, he used to be a geeky teenager named Peter Parker until he got bitten by a genetically altered spider. After a tragic incident that claimed his uncle's life, he vowed to protect the city and take the great responsibility that came with great power. He encountered Sora and co. a year ago and defeated the Green Goblin with their help. He's intelligent and a wise-cracker, which causes him to outwit and enrage his enemies. He first appeared in…well, _Spider-Man_.


	48. Doctor Octopus

Chapter 46: Doctor Octopus

Joey jumped from rooftop to rooftop with his Chain Thrasher occasionally springing out to grab hold of a ledge he couldn't reach. Maya had swapped out the Treasure Seeker for her Two-Winged Angel, which she used to glide across the skies with Spider-Man web slinging not too far from her. They were searching for the Heartless or rather, the source that was blocking their signal.

"Hey, guys!" Joey called as he stopped on a rooftop, waving his hand to get Maya's attention. Spider-Man crawled up the building as the silver-haired girl did a summersault in the air and landed in a cat-like pose. Joey pointed to a bank where several Heartless were breaking open the brick walls.

"I'm in!" Spider-Man shouted, shooting out a web and swinging down.

The Heartless were black orbs mounted on eight tentacle-like legs and with single, yellow eyes in the center of their bodies. They were Cephalopod Heartless.

When Spider-Man was close enough, one of the Cephalopods swung out its tentacle…only to meet the blade of Joey's Chain Thrasher on nearly half a mile of extended chain. It hit the Heartless, full in the face, and destroyed it in a puff of smoke before burying itself in cement, which caused Joey to speed forward and punch another Cephalopod in the face.

Maya flew down on her Two-Winged Angel before replacing the Keychain with Treasure Seeker again and tossing the Keyblade in Strike Raid. It sliced right through a Cephalopod's tentacles, sending it to the ground. Maya caught her Keyblade before landing on the ground and driving the tip of her Keyblade into the Heartless' single eye.

Spider-Man swung in and sent a barrage of web bullets at the Heartless. The balls of webbing hit the Heartless in the face before the wall-crawler kicked it in the face. He jumped off and landed in front of the culprit—a portly man with reddish brown hair, a trench coat, and a pair of sunglasses.

"Who's the guy in the coat?" Joey asked.

"Sure, ask me." Spidey replied.

"Get out of my way." The man ordered.

"No can do." Spider-Man said, "Robbing a bank isn't something I can overlook."

"Have it your way." The man shrugged as four mechanical arms sprung out of his back and rammed into Spider-Man, sending him backwards.

"Okay, that's it." Maya said pulling out her Keyblade, "THUNDER!"

Electricity pulsed from her Treasure Seeker and flew at the man. However, the lightning went right into his arms.

"Metal is a high conductor for electricity." The man said before lashing out his arms again. Maya barely dodged as Joey evaded the strike and fired out his Chain Thrasher. The man's mechanical arms grabbed the oncoming blade, "Predictable."

"Boy, this looks familiar." Joey said, nervously. The man's arms lashed around, taking Joey's chain with it. The futuristic Keywielder screamed as he was pulled into the air and was sent flying. He landed on the roof of a building with a thud.

"Need a hand?" Spider-Man asked as he landed next to him.

"Yeah, I do." Joey replied, "SPIDER-MAN!"

The two jumped down as Spider-Man shot a web-line just past the man. Joey tossed his Keyblade into the air, which Spider-Man tried shooting a web at. TRIED being the operative term. He made the proper hand-sign, but no webbing came out.

"No, not NOW!" Spider-Man growled as his other web sprung forward, sending him straight into the man, who knocked him aside with one of his tentacles.

Joey's Keyblade reappeared in his hand and he jumped at the man, evading the tentacles as Maya summoned Treasure Seeker.

"Ready to do this?" Joey asked.

"I was ready before you asked." Maya replied, throwing her Keyblade in Strike Raid.

Joey threw out his Chain Thrasher and it wrapped itself around Maya's Keyblade. He then slashed it at the man. The force of both Keyblades knocked him to his side.

He stood up and growled, "I don't have time for this."

He then used his tentacles to heft his body into the air before jumping into the air and landing on the side of a building before scaling it.

"What happened?" Joey asked as he and Maya rushed over to Spidey and helped him to his feet.

"I…dunno." Spider-Man replied as he touched his forehead, "My powers just stopped working."

"Do you need any help?" Maya asked.

"No, I'll just walk home." Spider-Man replied as he walked off.

"Gotta get back and…" Joey then realized that Maya was technically in charge. He laughed, sheepishly, before asking, "What do we do now?"

"Let's go back to the apartment and recover." Maya said.

—

Half an hour later…

Joey and Maya entered the run-down apartment. With the amount of munny they had, it was the best they could afford. Riley was on the couch, munching on a sandwich and reading a newspaper.

"Hey, Riley." Maya asked, "Is your hearing better?"

"Personally, I don't think tapioca's THAT good, but it's your opinion." Riley shrugged, using an unusually loud voice again.

"Is that enough of an answer?" Joey asked.

"Yeah." Maya replied, "Who was that guy we fought back in the square?"

"Hey, you guys read today's paper?" Riley asked, loudly, "Something about Spider-Man and two kids with Keyblades fighting a guy with mechanical arms…they're calling him Doctor Octopus."

"Lemme see that." Joey said, taking the newspaper and finding a picture of the two Keywielders fighting the man with mechanical arms with Spider-Man. The caption said, 'Two citizens stop multi-armed menace'. He read it before sighing, "Why's this guy against Spider-Man?"

"I think the editor has issues with Spider-Man." Riley said, "Dunno WHY, though."

Joey grabbed a piece of paper and a pen before quickly writing on it. He held the note out to Riley, who read aloud, "'We get it already. Your hearing is busted.' And here I was thinking everyone was jabbering nonsense."

"I'll just take a look around." Maya said, "You two…try and work out how to communicate with Riley properly."

Maya walked out of the apartment and looked around. Every room had the exact same door—white and with rusted hinges. She looked from side-to-side…and ran headlong into someone else.

"I'm SO sorry." She said, staggering up.

"No, it's my fault." The man replied. He had brown hair, glasses, and looked absolutely average.

"I'm Maya." She said, "I'm new here."

"Nice to meet you." He said, "I'm Peter, Peter Parker."

"Well, see you later, Peter." Maya said as she walked away. She reached the stairs just as an old man burst out of the bathroom with his pants down.

"Rent!" he shouted at Peter, who quickly turned around and bolted down the stairs with Maya.

"I take it you have issues with that guy." Maya said, uncertainly.

"You have no idea." Peter replied.

—

Meanwhile, in a lair near the docks, Doctor Octopus was using his mechanical arms and cephalopod Heartless to slowly assemble a machine. One of the Heartless brought him a cigar, which he took before using one of his mechanical arms to light a match and then the cigar. He blew out a small smoke ring.

—

Maya and Peter were outside, walking through the streets of Manhattan.

"What's all this with Doctor Octopus?" Maya asked as they saw another newspaper with Doc Ock's picture pasted across it.

"He was a scientist named Otto Octavius. He was BRILLIANT." Peter replied, "But then an experiment he was working on went horribly wrong and…well, the results are obvious."

"What was the experiment?" Maya asked.

"Trying to use fusion to make a new, clean energy source." Peter answered, "But he miscalculated. The only reason he's still alive is because Spider-Man saved him."

"We were fighting with Spider-Man." Maya pointed out, "Doc Ock didn't seem that friendly."

"He's…not himself." Peter said. There was an awkward silence before Peter asked, "So, are you seeing anyone?"

"What?" Maya asked, giving him a suspicious look.

"No, NOT what you think." Peter said, quickly, "Just curious."

"Oh. Yeah, I am." Maya said. She thought about Sakuzy and how their relationship had changed over the years. She then looked at Peter and asked, "You?"

"Not so fortunate." Peter replied.

"Oh. Sorry." Maya said.

"Don't be." Peter shrugged.

Peter watched a redhead walk by with a longing, yet sad expression on his face. Maya could tell that he had some kind of history with that woman.

"It'll be okay." Maya said to Peter, trying to lift his spirits.

"Yeah, maybe." Peter said before walking off.

Maya turned around to return to the apartment.

—

"So, we've got at least three phrases down." Joey said after Maya returned. He held his finger up to his temple and said, "THIS means 'We already know'." Joey then held up a fist, "THIS means 'We'll have to fight'." Joey then held out his hands about five inches apart.

"What's that mean?" Maya asked.

"It means 'I want a sandwich'." Joey simply said. Maya arched an eyebrow, to which Joey responded, "Hey, you shouldn't make codes on an empty stomach."

"Well, I found out more about Doctor Octopus." Maya replied, "Apparently, he was a scientist who tried making an alternative energy source, but it went wrong."

"Resulting in Mr. Six-Arms?" Joey asked.

"Yeah." Maya replied.

"HEY." Riley said, "I THINK THAT DOC OCK WAS…" Joey put a finger to his temple. Riley stared before simply saying, "Sorry."

"So…what're we gonna do?" Joey asked.

"Wait for the next time he shows up, I guess." Maya replied.

"Alright." Joey said, flopping down on the bed. He then looked up at Maya before darting over to the couch.

Doctor Octopus

Formerly Dr. Otto Octavius. He tried forming an alternate energy source, but it failed. Four mechanical arms he designed to handle the power were permanently melded with his spinal column and drove him insane. This also led him to allying himself with Maleficent. He first appeared in _Spider-Man 2_.

Peter Parker

Also known as Spider-Man. Out of the costume, he's a somewhat awkward freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle. He first appeared in_ Spider-Man_.

Cephalopods

Heartless used by Dr. Octopus. They use four arms to support their bodies and for attacking. They mainly attack in numbers, but can be a challenge in single combat.

_Spider-Man's Bungee Bash…which failed._


	49. Indecisive

Chapter 47: Indecisive

Nothing much happened in the passing days. Riley's ears still had yet to recover from Xedge's attack, leaving Joey and Maya to write down everything they said to him. Doctor Octopus hadn't shown up in a while and, for some reason, Spider-Man had vanished off the map completely. Even when they fought the Heartless, the web-slinger wasn't there.

"He could be somewhere else." Maya said as she slashed through a Cephalopod, "Even heroes have problems."

"Yeah, more likely he thinks we're not worth helping." Joey growled as he shot his Chain Thrasher through a group of the Heartless.

"Joey, if it wasn't for him, you'd have been beaten into a pulp by Xedge." Maya stated, "You owe it to him!"

"Maybe, but he's not exactly making it easy." Joey stated, "It's not like I know who he REALLY is."

The two made short work of the Heartless. Riley was waiting behind them, working on a computer. He growled in frustration.

"I ALMOST tracked them to their source." Riley growled in frustration.

Joey quickly scribbled down a note that said, 'Well, THAT'S a spirit-breaker'.

"We're all feeling down, guys." Maya said, holding the Treasure Seeker, "The amount of Heartless in this world make finding the map piece nearly impossible. We've gotta take out Doctor Octopus and we can't leave until we do."

"Thanks for the pointless exposition." Joey muttered, "WE KNOW."

Maya glared at Joey before storming off, muttering, "You're IMPOSSIBLE…"

"What'd I do?" Joey asked Riley.

"WHAT?" Riley asked.

—

Maya continued fuming about Joey. Why did she wind up with HIM on her team? He was annoying, talked too much for his own good, and (right now) a pessimist. Why couldn't she be with Sakuzy or Depth? She'd go with Sakuzy for obvious reasons and, though Depth could be a little too blunt, he still fought no matter what.

She was brought out of her inner rage by the sight of a fire truck racing by. She turned in its direction and her eyes went wide as she saw a building burning about half a mile away. She acted on her immediate instinct and ran right in the house fire's direction.

The fire fighters were doing their best to put out the flames, but their efforts were proving fruitless. An Asian woman was bein restrained by a firefighter, struggling to get free and screaming that her daughter was still inside.

Non-involvement was the world order at this time. But then again, Maya wasn't from this time and the world order had practically been smashed to pieces over the course of these last few years. She ran through the crowd and burst through the door.

Immediately, smoke started filling her lungs. She coughed and covered her face with her elbow, trying to peer through the smoke.

"Where are you?" she called. When no one answered, she climbed the stairs, continuing to call for the girl.

Suddenly, someone burst out of the smoke. It was Peter Parker and he was carrying a young girl, who looked no more than eight.

"Peter?" she asked before coughing.

Peter didn't have time to answer as the floor beneath him gave way. He clung to the floorboards that were supporting his weight when the little girl crawled over to him and grabbed his hand. Maya bolted over and grabbed Peter's other hand as the two helped him up.

—

The two got the girl out safely as they were breathing from an oxygen tank. They removed the breathing masks and took deep breaths of air as two firefighters walked over.

"What you two did there," one said, "That was pretty gutsy."

"No problem." Maya replied.

The two walked away as the other fireman said to his partner, "There was someone trapped on the fifth floor. Poor soul never made it out."

Peter looked like he'd been punched in the gut.

The fire truck soon drove off, leaving Peter and Maya just standing there.

"Something's up with you, isn't it?" Maya asked.

"A bit." Peter replied, "I'm going through some changes and I'm not sure what's going on."

"Oh." Maya replied. She waited a few seconds before saying, "My teacher says that uncertainty causes failure in everything we do. Basically, if you start to have second thoughts about something, it will complicate matters."

Peter seemed to think for a few seconds before standing up and walking away. However, he turned around and said, "Thanks."

"It's not a problem." Maya replied.

"Maya!" someone called. The silver-haired girl turned around to see Joey and Riley running towards her. Joey was, obviously, the one who called her, "I just wanted to say that…y'know, I'm sorry for…"

"Being a pessimistic stick-in-the-mud?" Maya asked.

Joey looked a bit sheepish before saying, "Yeah, that."

"It's okay." Maya replied, "Now…should we get back to finding Doctor Octopus?"

"Oh yeah." Joey replied with his old grin.

Maya switched out the Treasure Seeker for her Two-Winged Angel before jumping into the air and gliding across it.

—

Doctor Octopus looked over his containment field—it was complete. Four huge metal pillars encircling a small field with wires running around them.

"Only one thing left…" he said with a mad smirk.

—

Harry Osborn was the only child of the late Norman Osborn and friend to Peter Parker and Mary Jane Wattson. However, he's obsessed over his father's apparent murder. A year ago, Norman Osborn died by his own hand when he tried ambushing Sora and Spider-Man with his glider. But Harry had no way of knowing that. When he walking in on Spider-Man returning his father's body, he thought that Spider-Man was the one who killed him.

A glass of alcohol was left on a table littered with pictures of Spider-Man. He growled before bringing his fist smashing down on one. He stormed off to the balcony. He then heard a strange thudding noise. He looked down just in time to see a mechanical arm grab him by the leg. Three others hefted Doctor Octopus onto the balcony. He took a sip of Harry's drink before tossing it over his shoulder.

"Hello, Harry." He greeted, nonchalantly.

"Octavius?" Harry demanded, "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here for tridium." Doc Ock answered, "More than last time."

"What? You'll destroy half the city!" Harry shouted, "You're a HACK!"

At this statement, the arm holding Harry swung over the edge of the balcony, dangling him over the couple hundred feet above the ground. This was obviously enough to change the young businessman's mind.

"WAIT! WAIT!" he yelled, "Maybe...maybe we can work out a deal!"

The mechanical arm swung back to the edge of the balcony.

"A deal?" Doctor Octopus asked.

"Yeah." Harry replied, trying to calm down, "You...you bring me Spider-Man and you can have as much tridium as you want."

"How do I find him?" Doc Ock asked.

Harry quickly thought for a few seconds before saying, "Peter. He works at the Bugle, he takes Spider-Man's pictures."

"Fine, I'll bring him to you." Doc Ock said as he dropped Harry.

"Bring him ALIVE." Harry said as Doctor Octopus began climbing back down the wall. One final thing came to mind as he leaned over and called, "Don't hurt Peter!"

* * *

The next day, Joey, Maya, and Riley were in a diner, planning their next move.

"You've searched the east part of the city?" Maya asked Joey.

"Yeah." Joey replied as he took a bite out of a sandwich, "No sign of Doc Ock's HQ there."

"I've searched the west part." Maya said, crossing out two points on a small map of Manhattan, "Riley, did you get the south part?"

"Yeah." Riley replied. He suddenly froze and said, "Hey, I heard that! I'M CURED!"

Joey pulled the computer expert back down into his chair, "We've gotta keep a low profile in other worlds, Riley. Where I come from, it's abolished, but NOW, it's still in effect."

"That means..." Maya crossed out the south part of the map, "He's around the north area!"

"And we're one step closer to getting outta here." Joey grinned, excitement building up inside him.

"Hey, compared to that last place we wound up in, this place is an upgrade." Riley pointed out, "At least HERE, I've got high-speed internet."

Maya took her glass of water and began to drink from the straw. She looked over to the next table and saw Peter Parker sitting in front of the red-head she saw pass by them a few days earlier.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

"I..." Peter said, hesitantly.

"Kiss her, ya moron." Joey muttered.

"Joey!" Maya hissed.

"Hey, YOU'RE listening in, too." Joey shot back in a low voice.

Suddenly, Peter froze up as he immediately tackled the woman. His reason for this was that a car was flying straight at them and crashed through the window.

"Get down!" Joey shouted.

Maya immediately summoned Treasure Seeker and rolled to the side as Joey slid under the oncoming vehicle. Riley, on the other hand, ducked under the table. The car smashed through the wall as Doctor Octopus grabbed the woman with one of his arms and grabbed Peter.

"Hey, Doc!" Joey called before firing his Chain Thrasher. One of Doc Ock's tentacles grabbed the Keyblade before tossing it away.

"Where is Spider-Man?" Doc Ock growled as he walked over to Peter.

"I don't know." Peter replied.

This obviously wasn't the answer that Doctor Octopus was looking for. He grabbed Peter with one of his tentacles before saying, "Tell him to meet me at the Clock Tower...or I will peel the flesh off her bones."

He then tossed Peter at the table that happened to be the one Riley was hiding under. It immediately collapsed and resulted in a pained yelp from the computer expert who was now pinned beneath it.

"Hearing's back...and I'm sure my ribs are broken..." Riley groaned.

Doctor Octopus used his tentacles to heave himself up and jump away with the woman in his mechanical arm.

"AREN'T YOU FORGETTING SOMEONE?" Joey shouted, holding out his Keyblade, "FIRE!"

A burst of fiery magic erupted from Joey's Keyblade and hit Doc Ock in the back. The former scientist simply flinched, but continued on his way.

"How'd that have no effect?" Joey asked, dismissing his Keyblade.

"Well, we know where he's headed." Maya said. She looked at Peter, who rolled off the table, allowing Riley to crawl feebly out. She helped Peter to his feet and Joey helped Riley up. Maya looked at Peter in the eye and asked, "Who was she?"

"Mary Jane." Peter replied as he hyperventilated.

"I say we go back and recooperate." Joey said, "Mainly because of Riley."

"Fine." Maya said as they grabbed the computer expert and dragged him away.

* * *

"So, we know Doc Ock's hiding in the north part of the city." Maya said, looking over a map.

"I'm not deaf anymore." Riley stated, "Why are we going over this?"

"To pad out the story." Joey replied.

"What're you talking about?" Maya asked.

"Nothing." Joey quickly answered.

"But WHERE in the north part?" Maya asked, circling the north part of the city with a red marker.

Joey looked out the window before seeing something swing across and grinning.

"What's so great? Nude parade?" Riley asked.

"Nude parade?" Maya asked with a vein twitching in her temple.

"Uh..."

"No." Joey answered, "Guess who seems to be back in town!"

Maya looked out to see a man in a red and blue suit with webbing running across it.

"Spider-Man!" Maya exclaimed. She summoned her Keyblade and changed it to Two Winged Angel. She jumped out before taking off.

"Grab a hold." Joey said with an annoyed sigh. Riley grabbed onto Joey's gut as the furute Keyblader summoned Chain Thrasher and shot it out the window, catching onto a building and swinging out.

Maya was the first to catch up to the web-slinger. She looked over and grinned, "Nice to see you again."

Spider-Man looked at her and said, "Nice to see ya, too. Glad you're not on the ground this time."

"I'm just glad our friend's not deaf anymore." Joey said as he swung over.

"Whoa." Spider-Man said as he saw Joey and Riley's current position, "Didn't think you'd swing THAT way."

"NOT what it looks like." Riley stated.

"So, what can he do?" Spider-Man asked.

Joey made to answer, but stopped and thought, "Ya know, I still don't know."

Spider-Man then swung over to the clock tower as a familiar, trench coat-clad figure with sunglasses stood.

"I was wondering if you'd show up." Doctor Octopus said as his tentacles flew out and caught Spider-Man, "And you brought those Keyblade-using meddlers!"

"Keyblade-using meddlers THIS!" Joey shouted as he swung his Keyblade free and twisted through the air and swung a kick (somehow at only a slightly reduced speed). Doctor Octopus swung one of his tentacles and hit Joey clean out of the air. Joey's Keyblade fired out and caught the ledge of the next building. During that series of events, Riley had turned very pale, was shuddering, and his grip on Joey had increased considerably.

Spider-Man used Joey's diversion to swing over and kick Doc Ock off the Clock Tower. The two tumbled down the tower, Doc Ock's arms pulling off the keys and trying to impale Spider-Man on them. The web-slinger evaded the strikes before driving his fist at Doc Ock's face. The two remaining arms grabbed Spider-Man before the two hit the ground, Spidey getting the worst of it.

Maya sped downwards on Two-Winged Angel before letting go of the wings and swinging it.

"WIND!" she shouted.

A torrent of wind hit Doc Ock, but did nothing as Maya put her feet on her Keyblade and rode it down like a surf board. She jumped onto the ground and pulled out the Gear Charm.

"INSPECTOR GADGET!" she called.

"Maya!" a man with a gray trench coat sped in on roller-blades rolled in, "Go-Go-Gadget Chopper!"

A handle came out of Inspector Gadget's head. The cyborg detective grabbed them as a set of helicopter blades sprung out of his hat. He jumped into the air as Maya flew into the air. She shot multiple balls of golden light into the air as Gadget pointed his helicopter at them. The bursts of light flew at Doc Ock, knocking him to the ground.

"Wowzers." Gadget said before vanishing.

Joey sprung down and called, "Spider-Man!"

Spidey jumped up and shouted, "BUNGEE BASH!"

Spidey shot out webbing as Joey shot out his Chain Thrasher. The two agile fighters sprung down on either end of Doc Ock with right legs outstretched. Each foot found either side of Doctor Octopus' torso. Spider-Man then shot out some webbing as Joey shot out a Firaga. Doc Ock blocked the fireball, but was webbed to the ground. One of his arms lashed off and grabbed Spider-Man by the face.

"Hey, forget about ME?" Riley asked before tossing a rock at the mechanical-armed doctor. Doc Ock's mechanical arm knocked the projectile out of the air before he glared at the computer expert. Riley's simple response was, "Oh crap."

Doc Ock's arms sprung up, the one holding Spider-Man dropped him as he began running towards Riley.

"Hey! Forget about me?" Joey shouted as he fired his Chain Thrasher. The blade looped around Doctor Octopus' arms and the future Keyblader grabbed the head of his Keyblade.

"Have a nice trip!" Spider-Man shouted as he shot some webbing around Doc Ock's arms. He and Joey pulled, knocking him down.

"Spidey? Your mask." Riley said.

"Yeah, I noticed." Spider-Man replied.

Joey then looked over at the constumed hero. Considering he was fighting, he didn't register that Spider-Man was maskless. Maya walked over and her jaw fell open when she saw who it was.

"Peter Parker?" she asked.

Spider-Man turned around to show that, indeed, it was Peter Parker. Riley tapped him on the shoulder and handed him his mask.

"Don't worry. We won't tell." Riley said with a small grin.

Peter took the mask and slid it back on. He gave the thumb's-up before saying, "Thanks, guys."

"No problem." Maya replied with a smile.

Doctor Octopus stood himself back up.

"Hey, if you wanna get to Spidey, you've gotta go through ME." Joey said, standing up and holding up his Chain Thrasher.

"And ME." Maya said, stepping up with Two-Winged Angel.

"And...y'know, me." Riley finished, standing behind the Keywielders.

Doctor Octopus smirked before saying, "Fine."

Three of his arms knocked them aside and the fourth one grabbed Spider-Man before pounding him on the wall into unconsciousness. He hefted the costumed hero up and said, "I've got what I came for."

He walked away on his arms. The three slowly pulled themselves together as Joey pounded on the ground.

"CRAP!" he swore, "Just when we got him back!"

"I'll try and catch up." Maya said, grabbing onto the Two-Winged Angel, "You two scower the north part of the city and try and find out where Doc Ock's been hiding."

"Easier said than done, but what the heck?" Riley shrugged.

Joey fired his Chain Thrasher as Riley grabbed onto the hilt, too. It pulled them upwards as Maya flew off on Two-Winged Angel.

Harry Osborn

A friend of Peter Parker. He swore vengeance on Spider-Man for apparently killing his father. He funded Doctor Octopus' experiments, but it failed. He first appeared in _Spider-Man_.

Mary Jane Wattson

Peter's love interest, though she's currently engaged to an astronaut named John Jameson. She's peeved at Peter for never being there. This is mostly due to the fact that she doesn't know he's Spider-Man. She first appeared in _Spider-Man_.

_Inspector Gadget's Helicopter Barrage and Spider-Man's Bungee Bash._


	50. Experiment

Chapter 48: Experiment

Maya soared through the skies of Manhattan, her Two-Winged Angel going as fast as possible. Finding where Doctor Octopus was going was simple—just follow the trail of destruction. Whenever there was a four-pronged print in a building or on the street, she knew she'd be on the right track. She then arrived at the end of the trail—in front a tall building.

"Going up." She said, speeding her flight upwards. She came to the window near the top and saw Harry Osborne armed with a dagger and approaching Spider-Man, who was unconscious and left on the couch, "This can't be good."

"But first, I have to see WHO." Harry growled, grabbing Spider-Man's mask and pulling it off, revealing Peter's face. THIS was apparently a shock to him as he staggered back, his mouth fell open, and the dagger dropped from his hand.

This was also enough to awaken Peter, who raised himself up and asked, "Harry?"

"You killed my father..." Harry said, stunned.

"Harry, he's got MJ." Peter said, trying to take things to a different subject, "Do you know where he is?"

"He took all the tridium." Harry simply said.

"With that much, he could destroy the city." Peter said, shocked. He then asked, "Where is he?"

Harry stared at his feet before simply saying, "The pier."

Peter pulled his mask back on before swinging out on a web. He noticed Maya following him on her Keyblade.

"Couldn't just leave you behind, could I?" Maya asked.

"Talk later." Spider-Man stated.

Joey and Riley had already come to the conclusion of Doctor Octopus hiding in the pier. Judging from an odd light coming from a run-down barge, they deduced that he was in there. The futureling and computer expert peeked in through one of the windows and saw the mad doctor putting the finishing touches on the containment chamber and Mary Jane chained to a wall.

"Am I the only one who finds that kinda, y'know, disturbing?" Riley asked.

"Riley, we need to get in there, but someone's gotta create a diversion." Joey said, quietly.

"You're not talking about ME, are ya?" Riley asked. Joey was simply staring at him. Riley sighed in exasperation before saying, "Fine, I'll do it."

Riley ducked down before slowly making his way to the boat's entrance as Joey summoned Chain Thrasher.

Meanwhile...

Spider-Man and Maya landed on the roof of the barge. Spider-Man crawled down to a window and slowly pried it open. The wall-crawler crept in as Maya kept a look-out.

"Hey, Doc!" Riley shouted. At that point, Spider-Man was on a wall that was just over the computer geek's head.

Doctor Octopus wheeled around and an angry look came over his face as he said, "I should've known that Osborn wouldn't have the guts to finish you off."

"What, me?" Riley asked, looking confused.

'CRAP!' Joey swore, mentally. It was NOW or never. He fired his Chain Thrasher, which Doc Ock grabbed again.

"You think you'd learn." Doc Ock said before giving the blade a yank, pulling Joey into the barge. Joey quickly dismissed his Keyblade and proceeded to drive his foot into Doctor Octopus' face.

"This is what we get for splitting up." Joey mumbled as he recalled his Keyblade.

"Might as well." Maya mumbled as she (literally) flew through the window and tried a drop-kick on Doc Ock...to no avail. The mad doctor grabbed her by the head and slammed her into the ground.

"Forget ME?" Spider-Man asked as he ran over and punched Doc Ock in the back of the head. The mad doctor fell into the water as the machine powered up.

A large fireball appeared in the center of the four pillars. It looked like a small version of the sun. It was a small version, but was still about twenty feet in diameter. It seemed to be pulling various objects into it, nearly incinerating Riley's glasses. The computer geek barely caught them and placed them back on his face.

"I'll take care of Doc!" Spider-Man shouted as he punched Doc Ock in the face.

At that point, Cephalopod Heartless materialized and began charging at the group. Riley yelped before running off.

"Riley." Joey growled, firing his Chain Thrasher at one of the Heartless, going right through it.

"I guess I'm stuck with dealing with this thing." Maya said as she quickly looked around. She noticed a large cable running through the barge and connected to a large, metal box. She ran over and said, "This looks important...BLADE!"

A yellow burst of energy erupted from her Keyblade. The energy took the form of a triangular blade and sliced right through the cable. The result was a lot less than she expected. Electricity burst out of the severed wires, but the giant, flaming ball didn't vanish.

"What the heck's up with that?" Riley asked as he grabbed a metal rob and beat a Cephalopod off with it.

"It's too late." Doc Ock said just before getting knocked to the ground by Spider-Man. His goggles were shattered and he looked up before elaborating, "It's self-sustaining..."

Peter seemed to calm down before jumping over and asking, "How do we stop it?"

"I can't stop it." Doc Ock said before a mechanical arm grabbed Peter by the throat, "I WON'T!" He then noticed that parts of Spider-Man's mask was torn. He gave a curious look before another arm grabbed the mask and pulled it off. He gave a small grin before saying, "Peter Parker? Brilliant but lazy..."

"You spoke to me about intelligence." Peter said, unafraid despite the fact that he was being strangled, "How it's a gift, not a privilege...how it should be used for the good of mankind...these things have turned you into something you're not. Hundreds of people are going to die if we don't stop this..."

Doctor Octopus' grip on Peter's throat slowly slackened before the arm fell to the ground. He looked lost before saying, "I've wanted this my whole life..."

"Sometimes, we have to give up what we've always dreamed of to do what's right." Spider-Man simply said.

"I'd hate to buzz-kill the moment, but we got the girl safe." Riley called as Joey and Maya had (indeed) freed Mary Jane.

"And we've got some trouble." Joey said. Within three yards, a small group of Cephalopod Heartless was slowly advancing towards the futurelings, computer geek, bystander, and hero.

"He's RIGHT." Doc Ock said to his mechanical arms, "Listen to ME now. Listen to ME."

"I cut the power, but it's not going out." Maya said.

Doctor Octopus quickly thought before saying, "The river! Drown it!" Spider-Man looked ready to go, but was immediately halted by one of Doc Ock's arms, "I'LL do it."

He hefted himself up before walking to the miniature sun. Joey wheeled over and brought his Keyblade smashing into a Heartless.

"NOW, we're making some progress." Joey grinned.

"Your old self, Joey?" Maya asked as she shot a light spell at another Heartless.

"Back at last." Joey replied before jumping over a Cephalopod's tentacle.

"Is it me or do these guys evoke unusually disturbing mental images?" Riley asked.

"No and could you help us for once?" Joey answered.

"Fine." Riley mumbled. He looked around before seeing a long, metal rod. He picked it up before running over to a Heartless and striking it across the face.

"Hey, mind if I join?" Mary Jane asked, picking up another rod and beat another Heartless with it.

"Uh...sure." Maya replied before slashing through another Heartless.

Doctor Octopus' arms were slowly crushing the support beams beneach the containment chamber, causing the ball of fusion reaction to slowly come crashing down. However, this also caused part of the barge to collapse. Spider-Man jumped over and grabbed the falling wall with his bare hands and barely kept it up. The reason? It was about to fall onto Mary Jane, who got a good look at his face.

"Peter?" MJ asked.

"Yeah, it's me." Peter replied before saying, with a strained voice, "This is VERY heavy..."

The ball of fusion slowly came closer to Doc Ock, who snarled, "I will not die a monster."

"Mary Jane?" Peter asked as the mini-sun began pulling harder on the wall. He bent to one knee before saying, "If we die here...I just want you to know..."

"You love me, even though you said you didn't?" MJ asked.

"Looks like it." Joey said. He ran over to Spidey's side and began to heave up with him. He winked at the costumed hero before saying, "Hey, ya need friends to help you out here."

The orb of fusion began to sink into the ocean, dragging Doctor Octopus and the barge with it.

"BLAST!" Maya shouted, firing a blue orb at the wall, which immediately exploded into splinters. She looked at them before saying, "We need to get out of here!"

Peter grabbed Mary Jane as Riley grabbed onto Joey. Peter swung off on a web-line as Joey swung himself and Riley away on the Chain Thrasher. Maya sprung into the air and flew off.

As that happened, the miniature sun slowly sank into the river. It pulled the entire barge down with it as well as Doctor Octopus.

Doctor Octopus, formerly Otto Octavius. A brilliant physicist, married, and had high hopes. One night sent his life reeling into chaos. The mechanical arms taking control of his higher brain functions, a deal with Maleficent, using the Heartless, and endangering hundreds of lives across the city. Now, with this final act of heroism, maybe he could redeem himself if there was an afterlife. He slowly sank to the bottom of the river, free from his short, violent time as a villain.

Joey, Maya, and Riley sat on a rooftop a good distance away from Peter and MJ. The two were just sitting on a giant web and staring at the stars. Maya looked on and remembered the times she and Sakuzy used to do that on Destiny Islands, about a hundred years in the future.

"Hey, Maya?" Joey asked, "Should we give Treasure Seeker another shot?"

"Oh, right." Maya said, replacing the Two-Winged Angel Keychain with Treasure Seeker. It glowed brightly in her hand and immediately pointed at Peter, "What?"

A beam of gold light shot out and hit Spider-Man in the back. It slowly retracted, bringing a piece of parchment with it. Maya snatched it up.

"So, it was right in front of us the whole time?" Riley asked, "What're the odds?"

"Well, we didn't know that an excess number of Heartless cause the Treasure Seeker to malfunction." Maya said.

"Alright, let's be on our way, then." Joey said, "I think we should leave the two love-birds alone."

"What's with you and making fun of couples?" Maya asked, "And aren't you and Myra dating?"

"Uh...well, that's different." Joey replied with a shaky laugh and a blush.

Thankfully, the subject couldn't continue. Their Gummi Ship appeared above them and beamed them aboard. Wasting no time, it flew off into space, ready for the next world.

_Sorry if this seemed rushed. I was in a hurry to get this done after working on it for WEEKS._


	51. Recollection

_This chapter's MUCH shorter than the other ones I post, but I had to include this for exposition/filler. Either way, enjoy. Con crit's more than welcome._

Chapter 49: Recollection

The Superhumans' ship...

Scott adjusted his new, black Aussie hat. He looked at it in the mirror and tipped it up a bit with his finger.

"What're the chances that a store that HAPPENS to sell that specific kind of hat would be drifitng around in space?" April asked.

"Ten thousand to one." J stated. He was rolling the keys through his fingers. The Jolly Roger had vanished, leaving only the tribal-looking key and the one that looked like a honey pot. He began pondering what Ohryx could have possibly meant by 'the one you love and the one you fear'. He knew the one he feared. In his whole life, HE was the only thing the shapeshifter was ever scared of. The person he loved, though...that was a more painful story.

Scott sat down next to J and put a finger to his chin, "Y'know, mate, I've been thinkin' about what happened back in Port Royal..." J didn't answer, but the Aussie continued, "I think I've seen that Seeker, Xijm, before."

"Really?" April asked, walking over.

"Yep." Scott replied. He screwed up his face, like he was trying to recall something he only vaguely remembered, "I think...it was when I was about eight or nine. I know it's BEFORE me dad dumped me in the Outback. He appeared one night, it was rainy, dad was out and me mum answered the door...and that's it."

"We have other things to focus on." J stated. The tribal key began glowing. He looked at the monitor before saying, "Land of Lights..."

"Wonder what we'll meet in THIS world." April said.

"Can't say we'll be surprised, considering what we've seen beforehand." Scott said with a grin.


	52. Brothers All the Same

Chapter 50: Brothers All the Same

_A series of bright lights appear above a mountain. The lights gathered together and formed 'Land of Lights' before disappearing._

"Anything I said before, I take it back." Scott said.

"I'm so sick of turning into birds." April stated, "I can fly, so I automatically become a bird? That's stereotyping..."

J simply remained silent.

In this world, Scott was a rather large brown bear with his black hat tied just below his lower jaw, J was a black wolf, and April was an eagle with a small, purple patch on her chest.

"I'm serious, in EVERY world we go to, I'm ALWAYS turning into something with wings. Y'know how hard it is to walk like that?" April asked.

"Yes, we get it." J stated before looking down at his neck—Maria's necklace and the keys dangled next to each other. The totem pole was glowing faintly as it shot up and pointed to the west. The black wolf took off running with the bear and eagle in hot pursuit.

"You're lost, aren't you?" April asked. J remained silent.

"He's refusing to talk, we ARE." Scott stated.

"We're not." J said, looking at the key. It was still glowing feintly. But only that.

"Well, judging by how we're actually getting a glimmer out of that, I think it's safe to say that there aren't any Heartless here." April said.

"That should make our job easier, right?" Scott asked.

"Should, but isn't." J growled.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a chorus of thundering footsteps. The three were on top of a hill, so they didn't see the source of the noise. They immediately got out of the way as a herd of woolly mammoths thundered past.

"Well, there's somethin' ya don't see every day." Scott said.

"So, this world is similar to the Ice Age..." J said.

It got even stranger. Riding on top of the mammoths were a pair of grizzly bears. One was obviously just a cub and the other looked a good bit older and was riding on the same mammoth. On another of the hairy elephants was a pair of moose. The cub ran across one of the mammoth's tusks.

"HOP ON!" he called.

"Why'd he call for us out of the blue?" April asked.

"I just know we're NOT-" J immediately looked over to see the bear and bird run over to the mammoths and climb on top of them. The black wolf sighed before shaking his head. WHY did he travel with those two? He then noticed that one of the keys was pointing at the mammoth herd. He growled before shaking his head and taking off.

—

The superhumans...er, animals had hitched a ride on the mammoths along with the two grizzlies. J had a hard time clambering onto the Ice Age elephant, mostly due to his current form's lack of anything that would assist him in climbing. He scrambled onto the mammoth's back before laying down, tongue lolling out of his mouth from exhaustion.

"WHY?" J asked while panting, "Just WHY?"

"Gut insitinct." Scott replied from a mammoth just in front of J's.

"Still, I don't envy you." April said, pointing with her wing.

"Can I drive yet?"

J looked back to see two moose riding on a mammoth. One was laying across the hairy pachyderm's back and the other was grabbing onto its ears and sitting just below its neck.

"It's a lot harder than it looks." The one on the neck said, "It was a lotta concentration."

"Well, can we at least change seats, eh?" the one on the back asked, "I look like ya hunted me!"

"That's Rutt and Tuke." Said a bear cub from in front of Scott, "And I'm Koda!"

"Scott Highflier." Scott introduced.

"April Goodeve." April greeted.

"J." J simply stated.

"I'm Kenai." Said the older grizzly with a somewhat grumpy expression on his face.

"What's with you?" Scott asked.

"I've been travelling with THAT little fuzzball for days." Kenai replied, gesturing to Koda.

"C'mon, what's wrong with a cute little guy like this?" April asked, looking at Koda.

"Wanna hear about how me and Bucky found the world's biggest pine nut?" Koda asked.

"Heh. I like this cub, kinda reminds me of myself when I was younger." Scott chuckled.

A few hours later...

"And, from that time on, I was ALWAYS careful of what I licked!" Koda concluded to a rather annoyed-looking audience.

"Okay, I KNOW I didn't talk that much..." Scott murmured.

"And I've had to put up with that for days." Kenai said.

Scott looked at the sky to discover that it was, surprisingly enough, nighttime. Dancing above their heads was a dazzling display of colors—an aurora borealis.

"Hey, look! The great spirits!" Koda exclaimed.

"Aurora borealis..." J murmured.

"You know about the great spirits?" Kenai asked.

"Yeah! They're the ones who make everything change!" Koda replied, excitedly, "They make spring turn into winter, the leaves change color, and tadpoles turn into frogs! My dad's up there, along with my gradma and my granpa!"

"Yeah, I know." Kenai groaned, turning over in a mammoth's tusks, "Sometimes, I just wish they'd leave things alone."

Koda looked concerned as he looked over at the older bear and asked, "Why?"

"My brother's up there." Kenai replied, "He was killed by a b...by a monster."

"What's his name?" Koda asked.

"Sitka." Kenai replied.

"Oh." Koda replied. He looked up at the aurora with a smile and said, "Thanks, Sitka. If it weren't for you, I'd NEVER have met Kenai..." the bear cub then lad on top of Kenai and snuggled into his light brown fur before saying, "I've ALWAYS wanted a brother."

Scott looked on that scene with a small grin.

"What's with that look?" April asked.

"Nothin'. Just remindin' me of Ryan." Scott grinned.

_Flashback..._

_At the end of the day Scott and Ryan first met, after the Aussie found the hyperfreak half-dead in a desert, the two were laying on a motel bed in a more rural area. Ryan was sitting on it as Scott leaned back and folded his hands behind his neck._

"_What's up?" Scott asked._

"_It-it's just I lost my parents." Ryan said, squeezing his knees against his chest and wrapping his arms around them, "I took off like that...what do they think happened to me?"_

_Scott put his hat on the lamp next to them, dimming the light a bit. He sat up and looked at Ryan, "They're probably worried about ya, mate. But that's a good thing. It means that they care for their kid...just wish me own dad coulda been like that."_

"_What happened?" Ryan asked._

"_He just drove me out into the Outback one day and left me there." Scott replied. Ryan continued looking down on himself. Scott patted him on the back before saying, "Don't worry. We'll meet 'em sooner or later. And, until we do, I'm takin' care o' ya."_

"_Thanks." Ryan said, a smile forming on his face._

"_Now, let's get some shut-eye." Scott said, switching off the lights._

_Ryan yawned before laying on the bed. He looked over at Scott's bed before saying, "Thanks...bro."_

_What he didn't realize was that Scott was still awake._

_End flashback..._

"So, that's how I became Ryan's brother figure." Scott said.

"Yeah, we ALL know about that." J murmured as he laid on a pair of mammoth's tusks, "But now's not the time to be nostalgic."

"Sounds like someone's a bit jealous." April said as she tucked her head under her wing.

"Yeah, maybe." Scott yawned before falling asleep.

Kenai

A grizzly bear who was turned into his current form by his older brother and the Great Spirits in order to teach him a lesson. The reason for it? Killing a bear. He's a bit irritable and judgemental, but does have a good side to people he's deeply connected with. His greatest wish is to be considered a man. He first appeared in _Brother Bear_.

Koda

A bear cub who's travelling with Kenai. He's very loose-tongued and talkative, taking hours to talk about a single subject. He's just a fun-loving kid, basically. He first appeared in _Brother Bear_.

Rutt and Tuke

A pair of rather dull moose. They do everything together from grazing to travelling. They first appeared in _Brother Bear_.

_Sorry this took so long. I was being lazy. Thankfully, I found a way to inspire me: an emotional flashback!_

_(Applause)_

_Anyway, read, review, and don't flame. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, though._


	53. The Hunter

Chapter 51: The Hunter

Scott let out a loud yawn as he slowly woke up. He looked around and blinked his eyes, trying to regain focus. A black wolf was sitting just behind him on an oddly hairy surface that seemed to be shifting.

"Took your time waking up." The wolf stated.

"What the strewth-" Scott murmured as he slowly came to. Their situation suddenly came back to him. He looked a bit sheepish before saying, "Oh...right."

"Anything from the key?" April asked.

"No. Just the same as when we first began following those two." J murmured as the key still kept a dull, golden glow around it.

"Well, that's not good." Scott said, shaking his head to get himself more awake (and almost losing his new hat in the process).

"Hey, Koda." Kenai said, nudging the bear cub awake, "Where do we go from here?"

"Hm..." Koda mumbled as he woke up. He looked across the landscape with his eyes half-closed, "Uh...that way? Or maybe it's the other way..."

Kenai growled in irritation before murmuring, "Why wasn't I turned into a homing pidgeon?"

Kenai slid off and walked off, muttering under his breath. Koda quickly followed after the older bear.

"Guys, our only clue to the next piece of map is getting away." J said as he jumped off the mammoth along with Scott and April, who fluttered down.

"Look, I'm sorry for losing our way." Koda said to Kenai before muttering under his breath, "Even though it's mostly your fault."

"MY fault?" Kenai snapped, wheeling over to Koda, "YOU were the one who's supposed to be leading the way in the first place!"

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck in that tree!" Koda shot back.

"Well, we wouldn't be in this situation if you could just take care of yourself!" Kenai barked. He then said, in a slightly higher voice, tongue hanging out, obviously meant to be an impression of Koda, "I'm lost! I can't find my mommy! Will you take me to the salmon run?" he then snapped in his original voice, "Why don't you just learn to GROW UP?"

"Fine, I won't have to deal with you then!" Koda barked.

"FINE!" Kenai stated as the two stormed off in opposite directions.

"Well, ain't this an unfortunate turn of events?" Scott asked.

"You think?" J replied, sarcastically. He walked after Kenai, who immediately froze.

The older bear looked over to where Koda was and sighed before shaking his head. He walked past the three and after Koda.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" April asked.

"As far as they're concerned, we might as well be." J said as his keychain suddenly glowed with a slightly stronger light, pointing to the west.

"What took it so long?" Scott asked as they began moving in the direction the keychain was pointing to.

—

The three continued on their way, gaining odd looks from oncoming animals. Whoever heard of a wolf, a bear (with an odd hat as well), and an eagle travelling together?

J's nose suddenly began to twitch as he caught a peculiar scent. He put his nose to the ground and began wandering around, moving his head from side-to-side, trying to find the smell and follow it.

"What now, mate?" Scott asked as J continued sniffing the ground.

"I've found something..." J muttered as he continued following the scent.

"Know what he's getting at?" April asked.

"No, I-" Scott's own nose started twitching, "Actually, I smell somethin' as well."

Scott began following the wolf as April tried her best to keep up with her friends. J's nose twitched as he turned around a tree to see a man in a blue-fur coat and tan fur pants. He had a spear with a small totem shaped like a bear. J continued examining the man as the first two segments of his key began to glow before a small clicking noise rang out. J's ears twitched as the man began to stir and clutch his spear closer.

J immediately walked away. His guess was that this wasn't the man whose path he should cross at the moment. Maybe it was his wolf instinct or maybe it was something else. He didn't know. He was quickly met by Scott and April, who he quickly ran past.

"Oh come on!" April shouted as she flew over to J, "We just caught up."

"I think the map piece is in multiple pieces." J stated, "And I think that those totems contain them...first Kenai, then that hunter. And according to this key..." J stopped as the key glowed with a stronger light and pointed to the mountain, "It's at the top of that mountain."

"Great, more wilderness explorin'." Scott said with a grin. He began to trundle through the forest. April flew over and landed on his shifting shoulders.

"I miss the mammoths..." April muttered before saying, "It's amazing how this world made me say that..."

"Yeah, VERY." J stated as he took off running ahead of the two. Scott picked up speed to try and keep up.

"Wolves n' bears." Scott grinned, "Both animals known fer long-distance runnin'! Bet I can get there before ya!"

J didn't answer, but kept running nonetheless. April sighed before taking off into the air.

"Boys will be boys." She said to herself.

_Sorry for the long wait. I've had a lot of attacks of the dreaded writer's block. If writer's block was a person, I'd grab my Reverse Blade and beat it until it stopped moving._

_I also had attacks of the equally dreaded 'too lazy to write' syndrome. I've had to deal with that a lot. I'm slowly beating it along with this fic._


	54. Great Spirits

Chapter 52: Great Spirits

The three panted in exhaustion as they walked out a field of sulfur. Searing-hot steam erupted every few feet, making crossing it a hazard.

"I have been across the universe TWICE now." April panted, "And I never thought I'd say it, but...that was TOO MUCH."

"Still, better than havin' to deal with alien crystals that wanna kill everythin' in the universe." Scott said with an optimistic chuckle.

"Point made." April nodded.

"So, mate, where's the key pointin' to now?" Scott asked J.

The wolf looked at the totem-shaped key, which glowed with a bright light when directed at the large mountain. From the experience they had in this world, no explanation was required. The last part to find the piece of map was located at the top. J looked at his partners.

"Let's go." He said as he took off for the mountains.

"There he goes again." April sighed in irritation.

"He's like that." Scott said with a nervous chuckle. April hopped onto Scott shoulders before leaning over his back, panting, "Ah, ya need a ride, Sheilah?"

"Yeah, my wings are stiff." April replied, "I miss just jumping into the air to fly..."

J and Scott ran past a group of bears fishing out salmon and probably having a good time in general. But now was not the time to stop and check it out. They had a mission to finish. The three then noticed snow slowly falling down all over them.

"A blizzard's coming." J stated, stopping for a second, "I can feel it..."

"Well, why're we waiting? We've just got to find that last bit of map and we can get out of here." April said.

J took off again with Scott lumbering past in hot pursuit. Scott panted before slowly falling behind the black wolf.

"What-what's happening?" April asked.

"Dunno...I'm just...runnin'...outta...steam..." Scott panted as his run slowed to a tired waddle.

"Couldn't have picked a worse time..." April murmured. Scott was panting for breath as he continued walking in the direction J was going. April called out, sarcastically, "Oh, DON'T mind us! We'll just catch up!"

"April...he's...outta...earshot..." Scott panted.

"I know, but it makes me feel better." April replied.

Scott continued to trundle through the snowy woods, occasionally making short runs with random bursts of energy, but they didn't usually last long. Scott's lumbering eventually slowed to a stop as he leaned against a tree.

"Gotta...rest..." he panted.

"Nothing can be done about that, I guess." April sighed as she hopped off of Scott's shoulders. She heard something before looking over and walking towards its source. She saw Koda weeping just under a fir tree. She stepped over and asked, "Hey, you're Koda, right? Well, what's the matter?"

"Leave me alone." Koda said, still crying.

"Come on, talking about it might make you feel better." April said, trying to coax Koda into talking.

"No." Koda snapped.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me, Koda." April said, fluttering over to a branch and grabbing onto the limb with her talons. She gazed down at Koda with her piercing eagle eyes.

Koda looked over at her before looking back down, still taking shuddering breaths. He then took a deep breath before looking over and shouting, "KENAI KILLED MY MOM!"

April gasped at that. She couldn't have heard him correctly! The older bear she had met earlier may have been grouchy, but not a killer.

"Wha-what?" April asked, "Why are you saying that?"

"He...he told me he did it." Koda replied, shakily "He said that he was human before and he killed a bear who killed his brother...but the bear that he killed was my mom!"

April remained silent for a solid minute. All this had happened to this poor, little cub. She had to cheer him up somehow. She mentally cursed, it was usually SCOTT who was good at this sort of thing. She took a calming breath before hopping off the branch and landing next to Koda.

"Look, Kenai did something very bad, but does that make him a bad PERSON?" April asked, 'Crud, that sounds lame...' she thought to herself before saying out loud, "You've travelled with him for weeks and you've really come to know him. I have the feeling that he feels the same way about you, too. So...y'know, give him a chance."

'I have GOT to give the worst pep-talks ever.' April thought to herself.

"What she's tryin' to say is THIS." Came a familiar voice. Scott lumbered through the trees and sat down next to Koda, "Brothers are supposed to stick together n' care for each other. I've got a brother figure meself, sure he can be annoying, kinda stupid, 'n really hyper, but he can count on one thing—unconditional love. And I can expect the same thing in return."

Koda looked at his paws before looking back up and running off into the forest.

"Should we follow him?" April asked.

"As sure as a roo hops!" Scott grinned as he began trotting through the forest.

"Scott, you DO know that you sound like a walking, talking stereotype, right?" April asked.

"Huh?" Scott asked as he continued running through the forest, keeping Koda in sight.

"Never mind." April sighed.

J came to a halt on a cliff, overlooking a large lake and a thick forest. He looked over and sniffed, trying to catch the scent of anything to do with the map. He then looked down at his necklace, seeing that it was still glowing with a soft light.

"Well, magic totem, where is it?" J asked, irritably. His ears then twitched as he looked over, seeing a familiar bear trundling through the snow. J walked over and asked, "Kenai, right? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to change back, that's what." Kenai answered in a dull voice.

"Also changed into your current form?" J asked.

"Also?" Kenai asked.

"Let's just say I have experience in the same field." J answered, bluntly.

There was suddenly a very loud flapping noise. Kenai looked over to see a silhouette of what looked like a bird in flight.

"Sitka?" he asked.

Whatever Kenai was expecting, the silhouette turning out to be a man in a ragged cloak probably wasn't one of them. The hunter brought his spear down just as Kenai bolted out of the way. The hunter stood upright before pulling off his hood. J's eyes widened as he realized that it was the same hunter he found back near the foot of the mountain.

"Denahi?" Kenai asked, eyes widening as well. The hunt lashed out with a spear, which had a totem shaped like a bear on it.

The hunter, Denahi, was wearing a dark blue cloak, and looked even more ragged than when J first saw him—his face was more ragged and his eyes were dark and baggy. However, the most noticeable feature was that his face was screwed-up in an expression of pure rage and hatred. He sprung at Kenai before lashing out with his spear. Kenai dodged the attack before calling out.

"Quick, Sitka! Change me back!"

J lunged at Denahi and bit down into his leg. Denahi growled before hitting J in the face with the shaft of his spear. J yelped before releasing him. The shapeshifter-turned-wolf was exhausted after a long trek to the mountaintop and didn't have the strength to get back up. All he could do was watch as Denahi began walking towards Kenai, spear outstretched.

"Denahi, please!" Kenai said in a pleading voice as Denahi pulled the spear back, ready to strike.

Immediately, he was hit in the back by a small, brown bear cub. J looked confused before seeing Scott and April rush in. Scott reared up on his hind legs and let out a loud growl. Denahi snarled as he held his spear up. Suddenly, darkness began to surround him. He yelled out as a large, black creature sprung out of him. It stood up to show that it was a Heartless! It was eight feet tall, carried a large club with an axe-head on it, had the iconic beady, yellow eyes and had gray wolf skins hanging on its shoulders.

"WHAT THE STREWTH?" Scott yelled as he had to run out of the way of its strike.

The Wolf Hunter pulled its club up a second time before charging at Scott again. April screeched before flying up to the Heartless' face and began pecking at its eyes. The Wolf Hunter bellowed as it swung its axe at April, missing by a hair's breadth. J stood on his legs before lunging at the Heartless. He opened his mouth wide before sinking them into the Wolf Hunter's leg. The Heartless shook its leg, trying to dislodge the black wolf. It then swung its claw, catching J on the side and sending him into a snow bank. Scott growled before charging at the Heartless and smacking it across the face with one of his paws, causing a loud SNAP. The Heartless's head seemed bent at an odd angle, but it grabbed the side of its face and quickly snapped it back into place. It raised its axe a second time before bringing it down. The shaft hit Scott on the head with a sickening CRACK. The Australian bear fell to the ground, out cold.

The Heartless looked over at Koda before lumbering towards him.

"No, STOP IT!" Kenai shouted, running over to Koda before yelling, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Koda looked up as the towering Heartless approached him and slowly raised its axe. It then brought it down.

"KODA!"

Kenai sprung between the Wolf Hunter and Koda.

A bright flash of light shone across the mountaintop.

J's medallion followed suit.

The Heartless screeched as it slowly disintegrated, a pink heart floating out of it.

J, Scott, and April froze up as they were bathed in golden light. An eagle floated down with Kenai in its talons. Slowly, Kenai was changed from a bear into an Inuit boy with short-black hair. J opened his ruby-red eyes and saw that he, Scott, and April were humans once more. Unfortunately...

April yelled as she covered her personal areas. Scott did so as well. J simply adjusted himself so that his parts were covered.

"WHY THE HECK-?" April shouted. Another flash of golden light appeared. All of their clothes were immediately restored from Scott's jeans and khaki vest, to April's tank-top, to J's hoodie. April looked down and turned red, "Bad timing..."

Kenai looked down at himself with a joyous look. The eagle changed into the ghost of a man that looked a few years older than Denahi. He walked over to Denahi and took the cloak out of him.

"Kenai?" Denahi asked, looking dumbfounded. He looked at his spear before dropping it to the ground. The ghost put the cloak over Kenai's shoulders.

Koda looked out from behind a rock, making a few grunts. Obviously, since they were no longer animals, they could not understand him.

"Koda, it's me." Kenai said. Koda rushed over to Kenai, who held him close. Kenai looked at Koda before looking at the ghost, who was his older brother, Sitka, "He needs me..."

"Well, he DID look better as a bear." Denahi said with a cautious laugh. He put a hand on Kenai's shoulder before saying, "Whatever choice you make, you'll always be my little brother."

Sitka arched an eyebrow and looked at Kenai. Slowly, golden lights surrounded Kenai before changing him back to a bear. Denahi looked a little taken aback by that.

"Did I say 'little'?" he asked with a laugh.

J's key pointed at Sitka's totem, which was shaped like an eagle. The key suddenly glowed, all levels completed. A piece of parchmet flew out of Sitka's medallion and J caught it.

"Well, mates, looks like it's time to get goin' again." Scott said with a grin.

"Yeah, I need a shower at this point." April said with a shudder.

J simply grunted as the Gummi Ship warped them away.

**Denahi**

Kenai's older brother. He always enjoyed teasing Kenai and poking fun at him. However, he truly did care about him, which explains why he went hunting after Kenai, whom he thought was the bear that killed Sitka earlier. His totem is the wolf, which represents wisdom. He appeared in _Brother Bear_.

**Sitka**

Kenai's oldest brother. He was often the center of order among the three of them, but was killed during an avalanche. He changed Kenai into a bear after he killed it in an act of vengeance. His totem was the eagle, which represents guidance. He appeared in _Brother Bear_.

**Wolf Hunter**

A Heartless created by Denahi's rage and thirst for vengeance. It's eight feet tall and wears a wolf skin over it. It's rather slow, but delivers devastating attacks with its claws and axe.

_Yeah, it's been a REALLY long time since my last update. It's mostly due to college and writer's block. Special thanks to my DA buddy, Aaron, for coming up with the Heartless in the finale._


	55. A Rock and a Hard Place

Chapter 53: A Rock and a Hard Place

_A series of mechanical fish fly past, leaving the word 'Atlantis', which then vanished in a flash of bright light._

"We mustn't coddle the weak!" Cecil shouted as he slashed at a Nobody.

"Why do you have to shout that?!" Depth snarled as he brought his Omega Weapon smashing onto another Nobody.

"I've kind of made it my catchphrase." Cecil replied, uncertainly.

"Guys, we have other things to deal with!" Riku shouted as he slashed at another Nobody.

"Riku's right. We have to rescue Kida before they get away with her!" Mickey called as he also slashed at them.

The group had arrived in Atlantis the previous day, joining a man named Milo Thatch who had been trying to find the lost city for quite some time. Along with him was Rourke, Helga, a girl named Audrey, a short Frenchman who was simply called Mole, an Italian man named Vinnie, an elderly chef who was called Cookie, an elderly lady named Wilhelmina, and a black doctor named Joshua. They found the lost city and were greeted by its natives and their king. However, it soon turned out that Rourke had only gone to the ancient civilization in order to steal its life. This was revealed at the worst possible time as its princess, Kida, had just bonded with it. Riku, Depth, Mickey, and Cecil were about to make a campaign to save her when two members of the Seekers appeared. One was Kurix, who seemed to be on a blood-hunt for Riku. The other didn't reveal herself, but rather summoned a group of Nobodies that resembled Samurais, but wore bright red clothes and had long staffs. She called them Flame Mages. Rourke's response was to summon Altantean Soldier Heartless, which resembled Soldier Heartless, but were covered in blue runes and carried electric spears.

Depth growled as he blocked a Atlantean Soldier's stab with its spear before bringing his Omega Weapon down on it.

"It was bad enough when they were fighting EACH OTHER." He snarled.

"Yeah, then they seemed to realize that they had a common enemy." Riku snarled, slashing with Way to Dawn.

"And I don't think that talking would be the best course of action in this situation." Cecil said as he evaded a strike from an Atlantean Soldier.

"Good point." Riku growled as he sent out a Dark Firaga at a Flame Mage. The Flame Mage waved its staff and sent the fireball back at Riku, who jumped back to dodge the strike, "Okay, no fire magic..."

"Oh, heck with this!" Depth growled, pulling out a Summon Charm, "YODA!"

"Depth." Said an ancient voice. A small, green alien with large ears, wrinkled skin, and a few whisps of white hair appeared. It was wearing loose, white robes and had three fingers. It held out its hand as a small device flew into it. A bright green bar of energy erupted from the device, which the alien held over its head, "Battle with honor, let us."

Depth roared as he used his Keyblade's version of Thundaga before hurtling it at Yoda, who deflected it with his lightsaber. Depth then grabbed the alien before jumping at the Flame Mages and Atlantean Soldiers. Yoda's lightsaber and Depth's Keyblade slashed out, leaving them in pieces.

"May the Force be with you." Yoda said, bowing as he vanished.

"Well, there you have it." Cecil said, driving his sword into the neck of a Heartless before catching a Flame Mage in a torrent of shadows.

Riku gave Cecil a disdainful look. He had been trying to use that strategy, but unsuccessfully.

"But how are we going to catch up with Rourke?" Mickey asked.

"How about these?" came a voice. Riku, Mickey, Depth, and Cecil looked up to see what looked like mechanical fish swimming towards them in the air. Piloting this was a man with short, brown hair and rather thick glasses. This man was Milo.

"Hey, don't ya have anything more sporty, like a tuna?" asked a man with an Italian voice. Everyone called him Vinnie.

"Guess this is better than nothing..." Depth mumbled as he stepped into a craft shaped like a hammerhead shark.

"Still, these are cool." Riku shrugged as he stepped into a fish. Cecil got into a shark as Mickey hopped onto the fish just behind Riku. The crafts began to slowly lift up and fly towards a leaving space craft.

"Alright, this is it!" Milo shouted, "We're gonna rescue the princess! We're gonna save Atlantis! Or we're gonna die trying! NOW, LET'S DO IT!"

"I just heard the sappiest line ever just now..." Depth muttered.

"Hey, it makes for a good pep talk." Riku said as the crafts took off towards the hot air balloon, leaving with Rourke and the princess.

**Milo James Thatch**

A former janitor who worked in a museum, but constantly made theories about the lost civilization of Atlantis. An old friend of his family believed him, however, and gave him a small group of submarines. Upon arrival, he struck up a friendship with the Atlantean Princess, Kida, and began discovering more and more about the history and culture, which even the Atlanteans forgot. He's meek, but has a very strong heart. He first appeared in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Yoda**

A warrior from a galaxy far, far away. Whenever Depth calls, he will come in and fight. Despite his short stature, he is fearless in battle and can turn from a small, frail creature into a furious fighter. He first appeared in _Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back_.

**Flame Mage**

Nobodies controlled by the Seeker, Xail. They wear helmets like Samurai Nobodies, but wear red robes and carry long staffs. Fire is their primary weapon and trying to use flame-based magic against them is a VERY bad idea.

**Atlantean Soldiers**

Soldiers called in by Rourke to attack. They resemble Soldiers, but are covered in glowing, blue runes. Their primary method of attack is electricity.


	56. Crystals

Chapter 54: Crystals

"And I say I found it, fair and square." An elderly, yet muscular man growled at Kurix and another Nobody.

"Well, it just so happens that we don't give a crap about what you say." The other Nobody said in a rather snide, female voice.

"Xail's correct." Kurix stated, "Why should we care about what you have to say on this matter? What's preventing us from simply taking the Princess here and now?"

"Maybe THIS." the man, Rourke, said, pointing a pistol at Kurix.

"You HONESTLY think that I'd be that easily intimidated?" Kurix scoffed, summoning the Dark Keyblade.

"Hey, boss, how about I take this joker?" the other Nobody, Xail, asked in an eager voice, "I've been wanting to take on this jerk since we met him about five minutes ago!"

Kurix looked down to see Riku, Depth, Cecil, Mickey, and Milo riding torwards them, "Very well, Xail, you may do that. I have some business with my Somebody anyway."

Kurix jumped off the balloon as Xail removed her hood to show bright, red hair and fierce, amber eyes. She held up her fist as a burst of flame appeared around it. When the flames dissipated, her fist was a gauntlet with a large blade where her knuckles were.

"Little bit of the Seekers right in your face." She smirked, "BAM!"

She threw out a punch. Rourke dodged and began shooting, but Xail dodged the bullets. She slashed out with her katar only for the elder man to evade and fire back.

Meanwhile, Riku saw Kurix falling towards him as he summoned his Dark Keyblade.

"Guys, we've got trouble." Riku said, summoning Way To Dawn.

"Yeah, thanks Captain Obvious." Depth growled, maneuvering his ship around as Kurix landed on Riku's ship.

Kurix snapped his fingers and, in white swirls, came some Nobodies. They looked similar to Samurai, but were colored shades of black with long cloaks and carried longswords.

"I call them Slayers." Kurix said, "And they're here to make sure I have you all to myself."

He motioned with his hand and the Slayers sprung at Riku's comrades. Depth snarled as he veered his craft out of a Slayer's path, but the fin of his craft was caught by the fin. Cecil's response was to speed directly into the Slayer, slamming it into the ground miles below. However, another one sprung up.

"CRAP!" Depth swore as he looked to the side. He summoned his Omega Weapon before bringing it slamming down on the Slayer as it crawled onto his ship. The Nobody simply blocked with its sword and deflected the blow.

"Leave those guys out of this." Riku said to Kurix as he stood up, summoning Treasure Hunter as he did, "It's ME you've got a problem with."

"Those three just chose the wrong time to ally themselves with you." Kurix stated, swinging his Keyblade at Riku, who only had enough time to block and even then was hit with enough force to be knocked off his speeder and sent into a free-fall. Kurix then jumped down after Riku, his Keyblade out-stretched to impale Riku on it.

The Darkness-wielding Keyblade Master's response was to catch the blow with his own Keyblade and twist around into the air until his elbow collided with Kurix's back, making the Nobody yell out in pain. The two began to twist and grapple in the air, trying to force the other one into a position where their opponent would take the full force of the impact. Riku, however, planted his feet into Kurix's back and swiftly drove him down in a kick before catching onto a giant, stone statue. Kurix landed in a crater, but cralwed back out, looking (for lack of a better term) angry.

"This...isn't over..." Kurix snarled, creating a portal of darkness and going into it.

"I could tell." Riku sighed.

Meanwhile, Cecil, Mickey, and Depth were fighting the Slayer Nobodies. However, in mid-strike, they suddenly disappeared.

"Why'd they suddenly vanish like that?" Depth asked, suspiciously.

"Personally, I don't think it's cause for complaining." Cecil said, jumping off the hammerhead shark speeder and flying towards Rourke and Xail, who were still fighting, "Halt! We cannot permit you to take away that valuable item to this world!"

"Who talks like that?" Xail asked, irritably. She simply began slashing at Cecil, who evaded the strike and began lashing out with his lance.

"Out of curiosity, who're you?" Cecil asked as the two continued exchanging blows.

"Xail, Number Ten of the Seekers, also known as the Flaming Tigress!" Xail said with a feral grin.

"A name you live up to..." Cecil murmured as he shifted into his dark armor and began attacking.

"That's only half of it!" Xail smirked before her katars burst into flames as she continued striking out while yelling an oddly familiar battle-cry, "BURN, BABY! BURN!"

Mickey jumped in and swung his Keyblade down on Xail as Milo flew past and kicked Rourke in the chin. The older man yelled as he staggered back. He drew a knife and slashed at Milo, who dodged. Mickey slashed with his Keyblade, hitting Rourke in the side and making him recoil. Rourke snarled as he summoned more Heartless.

Meanwhile, Depth jumped off his speeder while sending it on a collision course with the ground. He grabbed onto the chains as a Hispanic-looking girl and a muscular black man were clinging to a chamber held up by chains. However, they seemed to be having little to no success.

"I thought you said this thing could saw through a femur in two seconds!" the girl, Audrey Ramirez, yelled with a clear accent.

"Yeah, but this isn't a femur!" the black man, Joshua Sweet shouted.

Depth growled as he started to climb up the chains. He summoned his Omega Weapon and began slamming it into the chains. The balloon jerked around, making the Heartless fall off along with Milo, Mickey, Cecil, Rourke and Xail. Cecil and Xail grabbed onto the rail of the station and were slowly losing their grip.

Riku saw the situation they were in and looked around the area. He spotted something covered in rubble. He grinned before rushing over to it. It was the Leviathan, a massive ship that nearly knocked them out of space when they first arrived. He rushed over to it and began clearing away the rubble and arrived at a hatch that looked like the entrance. He summoned his Keyblade and used it to unlock it. He jumped inside and ran towards the cockpit.

"I hope I know how to work this thing..." Riku muttered to himself, pressing random buttons.

Meanwhile, Milo and Rourke were fighting against each other as they tried to get to the chamber. Mickey yelled as he grabbed onto Rourke's leg with a death-grip.

"LET GO, YOU MISERABLE RAT!" Rourke yelled, shaking his leg while he grabbed Milo's leg. Milo let out a yell as his hand grabbed onto something and pulled. It was no more than a glowing crystal on a necklace. Rourke thrust out his hand and yelled, "GIVE THAT TO ME!"

"HERE!" Milo shouted back, slashing his hand with the crystal, drawing blood.

Rourke yelled as his hand began turning blue and transparent. Mickey jumped up before kicking him off. Rourke fell to the ground, letting out a yell as he continued to crystalize. Heartless began to gather as he stretched out his hands, merging with them.

Cecil and Xail had landed on the ground below and were panting, battered and bruised, but far from going down.

"I must say...you're a worthy foe..." Cecil panted.

"I would...say the same...but I'm not that nice..." Xail panted back, a feral smirk on her face.

CRASH!

The two looked over to see a giant, dark blue foot. Their eyes slowly trailed upwards to see what looked like Rourke, only giant, more muscular, and with a giant Heartless symbol on his chest.

"Truce?" Cecil asked.

"Truce." Xail answered with a curt nod.

Depth, who was still trying to cut the chains holding the chamber, looked over to see the giant Heartless Rourke. He then looked down at Milo, who was looking freaked out to say the least. Depth swiftly put two and two together.

"Not your best idea, Thatch." Depth stated.

"Yeah, probably. We're almost done here." Audrey said as the saw cut through one of the links and sent the chamber hurtling towards the ground with Milo and Mickey still clinging to it. Milo screamed as he fell through the air Mickey grabbed Milo and jumped away, letting the chamber crash into the ground, the hatch dangling open.

"What're we gonna do about Rourke?" Mickey asked, looking up as the Crystal Giant continued to wade through the city, causing mass destruction.

"I don't think we'll need to worry about that." Milo said, pointing as the Leviathan flew through the air and crashed into the Crystal Giant, pincers grabbing at its shoulders.

The Crystal Giant bellowed as it brought its hand smashing into the Leviathan, putting a serious dent in its head.

"CRAP!" Riku swore, seeing sparks fly from the main computer. He began pressing buttons, hoping that one of them would do something. The most he could manage was to move the pincers down to the Crystal Giant's arms.

"Don't worry, we've got this!" Cecil's voice shouted. Riku looked over to see another hammerhead shark speeder, this one with Cecil and Xail on it.

"Alright, you two." Riku said, not sure whether or not the two could hear him, "I'll hold him, you two try and destroy him."

Riku pushed another button, the Leviathan pulled the Crystal Giant's arms out. The Crystal Giant wasn't making this easy as it continued struggling.

"Take the wheel for a second." Cecil said, letting the control yoke go as he shifted into his dark armor. Xail growled before taking the yoke and steering the vessel around the Crystal Giant, "GRAVITY BALL!"

Cecil tossed a ball of energy at Rourke. The instant it made contact, he sank to his knees, making the Earth tremble as a result.

"YOU take the wheel now." Xail snapped, pulling out her katars and jumping out, her blades bursting into flame as she drove them into the Crystal Giant's back. She began climbing up Rourke before reaching his head, "And THIS is why Nobodies trump Heartless!"

She drove her katar into Rourke's face, making the Crystal Giant bellow in pain. Cecil quickly put the speeder down before jumping out and began to make his own ascension across the Crystal Giant. He arrived at its chest and thrust out his blade, impaling Rourke on it. Riku slammed a button on the control panel and he soon found himself shot out of the Leviathan.

"Guess I found the 'eject' button." Riku said before summoning Treasure Hunter and bringing it down across Rourke. The blade cut through his crystal hide and the Crystal Giant shrieked in pain as it began to dissipate, a pink heart rising from its chest and vanishing.

"Well...that's something for the journal..." Riku panted.

"Alright, two things for our truce." Xail said, pointing at Cecil, "You fought well...I wanna see more. But some other time."

Xail cackled as she vanished into darkness.

"I guess that's the second thing." Cecil said to himself.

The two looked over to the glowing, blue chamber. Out stepped a woman who appeared to be made of blue light. She held out her hands and a bright light filled the entire area. When it faded, the damage caused by the Crystal Giant had been repaired. She lifted her head and raised her arms before the energy began fading. Several stone slabs rose from the water, each with a different face etched onto it. Riku's Treasure Hunter appeared in his hand at that point. He directed it at the faces as a beam of gold light erupted form the tip of his Keyblade. It pulled out another piece of parchment as it retreated back into the Keyblade.

"That's piece number two." Riku said.

"Strange, it almost feels like we just got here." Cecil said.

"Whatever. Let's just get goin'." Depth growled.

The blue woman had changed, now having black skin with bright blue markings on her and pure, white hair. She was Princess Kida. Milo walked over to her and grabbed her, trying to help her maintain balance.

"Well, bring down the Gummi ship." Mickey said as the four departed the world.

**Audrey Ramirez**

A Puerto Rican girl who's handy with mechanics. Despite her age, she can fix almost anything. She's spunky and bad-tempered, but a good friend. She first appeared in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Joshua Sweet**

The crew's medical officer. He's a very emotional guy with a tendency to be jolly most of the time. He first appeared in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Kida**

The princess of Atlantis. She is centuries old, the city having sunk when she was only a child. Like most Atlanteans, she slowly lost her memory of her own civilization's history. With the death of her father, she is now queen of Atlantis and is the love interest of Milo. She first appeared in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Lyle Rourke**

The original commander of the mission to find the lost city of Atlantis. However, it turns out that he was trying to steal the power source responsible for the Atlantean longevity for himself and give it to Maleficent as well with the assistance of his band of mercenaries and Heartless. He first appeared in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Leviathan**

A massive war ship that's shaped like a crustaceon of some sort. It primarily serves to protect Atlantis from invaders. Riku later piloted it to help destroy the Crystal Giant. It debuted in _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

**Xail**

Number ten of the Seekers, also known as the Flaming Tigress. Her nickname comes from her ferocity in battle and her ability to control fire. She has a no-nonsense attitude, but has a sense of honor as well. Her primary weapons are a set of katar daggers.

**Slayers**

The Nobodies controlled by Kurix. They vaguely resemble Samurai Nobodies, but wield longswords instead of katana and are a darker color. They are known for being particularly ferocious in battle.

**Crystal Giant**

When Milo slashed Rourke with Kida's crystal, he merged with hundreds of Heartless and became this: a massive behemoth capable of mass destruction. It took the combined effort of Riku, Cecil, and Xail to destroy it.

_Sorry this world ended kinda abruptly, but hey! I'M BACK IN BUSINESS, PEOPLE! LET THERE BE CELEBRATION!_


	57. TLSoulDude and the Holy Grail

Chapter 55: TLSoulDude and the Holy Grail

Sora and co.'s ship...

Sakuzy was snoring audibly in the pilot's seat. It was more for decoration than for effectiveness, since Quartz acted more as the pilot. But it was comfortable and Sakuzy didn't really complain about its location. At that point, Sora and Kairi stepped out of her room.

"So, we have those little blank areas cleared up?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah." Sora answered, "Still...some things I just can't."

Sakuzy snorted as he woke up, "Huh? Wha?"

"Nothing." Kairi said.

"Like how could he have said he's my grandson and the universe didn't collapse." Sora said, pointing at Sakuzy.

"Yeah, you're not the only one to get confused by that." Kairi nodded.

Sora summoned the Treasure Seeker and pointed it at a virtual map. A bright, yellow dot began flashing with the caption of 'Camelot'.

"Looks like we're heading for that world." Sora said.

"Quartz, drop us off." Sakuzy said.

—

The three wound up in a forest. They heard a scuffle elsewhere and they immediately walked over to a small clearing, where they saw two men in armor fighting. One was clad in black armor. He swung a broadsword and deflected a few strikes from his enemy, who later charged. The Black Knight hurled his sword into the man's face, killing him instantly.

"Holy crud..." Sora swore.

"Maybe he can help us out." Sakuzy said, walking over to him, "Excuse us, sir, would you happen to know if there are any Heartless about?"

The knight simply stared at Sakuzy.

"Uh what about a map to an ancient treasure?" Steel asked. The knight remained silent. Perhaps he was a little deaf, "CAN YOU HELP US?"

The knight simply remained quiet.

Sakuzy sighed in irritation before saying, "C'mon, guys, he's not going to help us."

Suddenly, the knight spoke in a clear voice, "NONE shall pass."

"What?" Sakuzy asked.

"None shall pass." the knight repeated.

"Dude, we've gotta get past this." Sora said, walking over with Kairi.

"Then you shall die." The knight stated.

"Hey, do you know what we're doing?" Sakuzy asked, impatiently, "We're trying to find the Ancient Treasure!"

"I move for no man." The knight stated.

"Alright then." Sakuzy said, putting his hands together before summoning the Eagle Feather. The Black Knight held up his sword and the two clashed. Sakuzy parried the blow and hit the knight directly on his helmet. The Knight slashed, wildly, with his blade. Sakuzy constantly side-stepped the blows before striking at the knight's arm, chopping it off, "Now, stand down."

"'Tis but a scratch!" the knight proclaimed.

"A SCRATCH?!" Sakuzy shouted, looking dumbfounded, "Your arm's off!"

"No it isn't." The knight quickly said.

"Well, what's THAT?" Sakuzy asked, gesturing at the cut limb on the ground, blood pouring down.

The knight looked at it, shrugged, and then looked back at Sakuzy with a simple, "I've had worse."

"That's a lie." Sakuzy muttered.

"C'mon, you pansy!" The knight shouted, slashing at Sakuzy again. Sakuzy blocked the strike and sliced off the knight's other arm.

"I think that's a definite victory." Sakuzy said, walking over to Sora and Kairi, "Okay, now we-"

POW!

Sakuzy was kicked over by the (literally) disarmed knight.

"This guy just won't give up." Sora said.

"Considering what we've been through...yeah, I think that sums it up nicely." Kairi said, looking just as confused as her boyfriend.

"C'mon then!" the knight ordered.

"What?" Sakuzy asked, standing up.

"Have at you!" the knight shouted, kicking Sakuzy in the side.

"You've got spirit, but it's obvious that I won." Sakuzy said, getting to his feet.

"Oh, had enough, eh?" the knight asked in a somewhat teasing tone.

"You don't have any arms left!" Sakyuzy pointed out. This was getting more and more ridiculous by the second.

"Yes I have!" the knight corrected.

"LOOK!" Sakuzy shouted, gesturing at the knight's bloody stumps.

"It's only a flesh wound." the knight stated, kicking Sakuzy in the butt before dancing around him.

"Knock it off..." Sakuzy growled.

"Chicken! Chicken!" the knight taunted.

"You want me to take off that leg?" Sakuzy asked in a threatening voice. The knight kicked him in the shin, "Alright then!"

Sakuzy chopped off the knight's leg as he extended it.

"Right, I'll get you for that!" the knight shouted, balancing himself on his one remaining leg.

"You'll WHAT?" Sakuzy asked.

"C'mere!" the knight shouted, hopping at Sakuzy.

"What're you going to do, bleed on me?" Sakuzy asked, rolling his eyes.

"I'M INVINCIBLE!" the knight shouted, ramming into Sakuzy...though, with his limited mobility, it wasn't really ramming as much as it was just nudging him.

"No, you're INSANE." Sakuzy stated.

"The Black Knight ALWAYS triumphs!" the knight shouted, hopping at Sakuzy again.

Sakuzy had finally had all he could stand from this psychopath. He slashed out with his Keyblade, taking off the Knight's remaining leg. The de-limbed knight was left as a lump on the forest floor.

"Alright, we'll call it a draw." Sakuzy said, dismissing his Keyblade, "C'mon, guys."

Sora and Kairi followed Sakuzy, leaving the de-limbed knight.

"Oh, I see! RUNNING AWAY, ARE WE?! YOU YELLOW BRATS, COME BACK HERE AND TAKE WHAT'S COMIN' TO YA! I'LL BITE YOUR LEGS OFF!"

Sakuzy grinned as he bolted back and swiped a charm with what looked like a boar's head carved into it. He then ran after Sora and Kairi.

—

The three groaned as they walked out of a forest. They had a rather...stressful journey through the woods. It involved being attacked by a killer rabbit and encountering a group of knights who said "Ni" and freaked out whenever they used the word "it". They looked up to see a magnificent castle, standing proudly in the landscape.

"Camelot?" Sora asked.

"Camelot..." Kairi panted, looking hopeful.

"Camelot!" Sakuzy exclaimed.

_(pop)_

_Crescent: It's only a model._

_Author: SHH!_

"Alright, we've finally made it to a hospitable place." Sora said, standing up and holding his Keyblade up and proclaiming, "Now, let us go to Camelot!

—

The three seemed to have arrived in a musical number. They just stood there, staring, as the knights were singing and dancing.

Knights: _**We're Knights of the Round Table,**_

_**We dance when ere we're able,**_

_**We do routines and chorus scenes**_

_**With footwork impeccable.**_

_**We dine well here in Camelot,**_

_**We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.**_

The knights jumped onto a table, knocking off various odds and ends.

Knights: _**We're Knights of the Round Table,**_

_**Our shows are formidable,**_

_**But many times, we're given rhymes**_

_**That are quite unsingable.**_

_**We're Opera mad in Camelot,**_

_**We sing from the diaphragm a looooooot.**_

In the dungeon, a prisoner was clapping, despite being chained to a wall.

Knights: _**In war we're tough and able,**_

_**Quite indefatigable,**_

_**Between our quests we sequin vests,**_

_**And impersonate Clark Gable.**_

_**It's a busy life in Camelot,**_

Knight: (in low, booming voice) _**I have to push the pram a lot.**_

"This place is bizarre." Sora said.

Sakuzy pulled out a device and pressed a few buttons. He squinted at it before his eyes widened and he simply said, "Oops."

"Oops?" Sora asked.

"Wrong Camelot." Sakuzy said, "We were supposed to go to the Camelot right next to this."

"Why are there TWO worlds named 'Camelot'?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know..." Sakuzy growled as he pressed a few buttons on the device, "Quartz get us out of here NOW."

"Let's never come back to this Camelot." Sora murmured, "It's a silly place..."

"And can we NEVER bring this up again?" Sakuzy asked.

"Deal." Kairi groaned.

The three were then beamed back up to the Gummi Ship.

_Hey, we were ALL expecting Monty Python jokes for this world. I just got them all out at once._

_Crescent: Hey, author! You were planning a Dragonheart world, but now you suddenly pull THIS on us? THIS is how you repay your loyal fans who waited MONTHS for you to update and got ZILCH?!_

_YES, Crescent, I know I took a while to update. But I had OTHER things to do, like college and my weekly DA reviews._

_Crescent: But that..._

_Old Man from Scene 24: Get on with it!_

_Tim the Enchanter: Yes, get on with it!_

_Army: YEAH! GET ON WITH IT!_

_Crescent: But you still haven't-_

_(deep, booming voice) GET ON WITH IT!_

_Crescent: (sighs) FINE._


	58. REAL Camelot

Chapter 56: REAL Camelot

Camelot...

A boy with sandy, blonde hair grabbed the hilt of a sword in an anvil. He had seen other, stronger men try to remove the sword, but he had pulled it out earlier. He pulled on the sword, taking it out with ease. A golden light shone around him.

"HAIL, KING ARTHUR!" the crowd cheered, "LONG LIVE THE KING!"

(present time...)

Sora, Sakuzy, and Kairi were deposited into a coutyard of a magnificent castle.

"This IS the Camelot we're supposed to be going to, right?" Kairi asked.

Sora summoned Treasure Seeker, which began glowing with a golden light, "I'm pretty sure we are."

"Sora! Kairi! Sakuzy!' exclaimed a voice. The group wheeled over to see Merlin with Archimedes perched on his hat, "I've been expecting you three."

"Oh hi...Merlin." Sora said, recalling Merlin's name just in time.

"Still having problems with your memory, eh?" Merlin asked, "Well, fear not. I found the map piece ages ago and I took the liberty of placing it in an easy place to find."

"Wait, YOU found the map piece?" Kairi asked.

"Indeed." Merlin replied, "I have the ability to see into the future!"

"Yes, but he can't make that flying machine stay up." Archimedes stated.

"Man WILL fly, Archimedes, I've seen it." Merlin said, glaring at his owl companion, "Now, I just returned from Bermuda and found that Arthur had just been crowned king of Camelot."

"Did...I know anyone named Arthur before?" Sora asked Kairi.

"No, I don't think so." Kairi said.

"Nope, he didn't." Jiminy Cricket said, hopping out of Sora's pocket and looking through the journal he wrote about their travels.

"Well, I believe I shall introduce you to him." Merlin said, leading Sora and co. away.

_A sword flashed with a golden light, showing that it was placed into an anvil. It was removed and a bright light released the word "Camelot" before it faded._

"Arthur was a student of mine." Merlin said, "I taught him to the best of my ability. I knew he was destined for greatness and now he is to be king with his knights of the Round Table."

"Wait, what?" Sora asked, looking confused.

"Oh...never mind." Merlin said.

Merlin led the three Keyblade wielders into the entrance hall.

—

"I was counting on the kingdom being leaderless for another month at least." Said a king with wild, tawny hair. He had a beak-like nose, a white shirt with a brown tunic, and a pair of black pants.

"Your lack of foresight is not my fault, boy." Maleficent said, "You had a long time to wage war. Why wait so long?"

"A Heartless army is not easy to muster." the king replied, coldly, "So many other people required conquering and have their hearts removed."

"And, by doing so, you made several Nobodies for the Seekers to control." Maleficent scolded.

"I have a very special heart." Einon stated, "I will be able to defeat them."

"That arrogance shall be your downfall, Einon." Maleficent said, vanishing in green flames.

Einon sighed as he looked over his kingdom. Citizens were hiding as Heartless were patrolling the streets. He snapped his fingers. In a burst of darkness, a giant dragon-like Heartless appeared. He jumped onto it as it flew off to the west. There was a kingdom he wished to conquer...

—

Deep in a forest, a Seeker sat in a meditative pose with his hood down. He had dark skin and his head was completely bald. Two staffs were seated next to him, one with a blue and red gem on each end and one with a yellow and green gem on each end. He was cross-legged in the middle of a small clearing. He held no fear for the animals. They would not sense him as an immediate threat. He looked over at the small weeping noise. His eyes were a clear blue and he stepped up. He followed the sound to see a small, red squirrel weeping.

"You have much pain inside of you." The Seeker said in a deep voice, "What is it, dear creature?"

The squirrel let out some chatters. The Seeker listened well. He could understand the squirrel perfectly. The other Seekers would view this creature's pain as beneath them. Not this one, though.

"A lost love, out of your reach? Heart-break is a great pain." He said, "I remember what it is like to feel pain of the heart...part of the reason why I am in this situation. Unfortunately..."

The Seeker turned to leave, but he stopped and looked at the squirrel. It looked at him with teary eyes. He sighed before taking his staffs in hands. He spun them in his hand before pointing them at the squirrel. It looked at him with terror as the green and blue orbs began glowing.

"Do not fear." the Seeker said in a calm voice, "I am merely giving you your heart's desire."

A bright flash of light filled the forest. When it faded, the squirrel was now a young girl with short, auburn hair, clad in a green dress. He added more magic to create the dress. It would not do for the young maiden to be unclothed, after all.

"I...I'm human now?" the girl asked herself. She suddenly gasped, "I can TALK?"

"Indeed." The Seeker said, "The magic I used was costly. I shall need time to recover."

"Thank you." The girl said, running into the forest.

The Seeker looked at her path—a dark wood leading towards a castle. He had no heart, but he still had a conscience. He would not let the girl run off into the forest on her own. He followed after her as an escort.

—

Merlin led Sora and co. into a large throneroom.

"Now, kneel." Merlin said, gently tapping Sora and Kairi's shoulders. The three sank to their knees as Merlin made a sweeping bow.

Sora looked up and saw that the person on the throne was a boy, probably around twelve. He had sandy-blonde hair, had a rather lanky physique, a red robe that looked several times too big for him, a crown that constantly fell over his eyes, and a longsword propped up against his throne.

"Oh...uh...you can stand up." the boy said, looking nervous, "Merlin, who're these guys?"

"These are Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy." Merlin said, "Sora, Kairi, Sakuzy, this is King Arthur."

"Nice to meet you, your majesty." Kairi said, wondering whether she could act more formal. As far as she knew, she WAS a princess, after all.

"J-just Arthur." Arthur said, "So, you guys know Merlin, too?"

"Yeah, he's the one who taught me how to perform magic." Sora replied.

"When I come from, he's still around and is a mentor to..." Sakuzy suddenly stopped himself. He should keep his 'I'm from the future' story under wraps, "Uh...nothing."

"He taught me how to be a king." Arthur said, "He didn't teach me anything about magic, though."

"Magic isn't something a king should wield, my lad." Merlin said, "These two have come for a piece of a certain map."

"Really?" Arthur asked, "Where is it?"

"It's in that sword, Excalibur." Merlin answered, pointing at Arthur's sword.

"Well, this is easier than expected." Sakuzy said.

Sora summoned Treasure Seeker and held it up. The gold light surrounding it released into a small beam of light...but quickly stopped and retreated into the Keyblade, the aura changing from bright gold to a dark purple shade.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked.

"If I were to hazard a guess..." Sakuzy said.

"Your majesty!" a servant called, "Einon has brought an army of strange creatures! He has officially declared war!"

"Yeah..." Sakuzy groaned.

"Uh...prepare the army!" Arthur proclaimed, somewhat hesitantly.

"It shall be done." The guard said before saying, "And two commoners desire an audience with you."

"Okay, let them in." Arthur said.

The guard left the throneroom before two people walked in. One was a girl with a heart-shaped face, bright green eyes, auburn hair, and a pale green dress. She immediately ran after Arthur and sprung on him, hugging him closely.

"W-wait, who're you?" Arthur asked, looking confused.

"You don't remember me?" the girl asked, looking at Arthur with a wide, merry smile.

"Uh...no." Arthur replied, turning a light shade of pink.

"How about now?" the girl asked grabbing Arthur's face and delivering two swift kisses.

"YOU!" Arthur yelled, trying to pry himself free from the girl's grip, "I...I thought you were a SQUIRREL!"

"I was." The girl smiled, "Then Bulex made me human!"

"What's she talking about?" Kairi asked.

"Oh, when I was teaching Arthur, I turned him into a squirrel." Merlin explained, "Then this she-squirrel shows up and shows interest in him. Well, when a squirrel chooses a mate, it's for life."

"Who's Bulex?" Sakuzy asked.

"I am he." Stated a rather deep voice. The members of the court turned to see a man with dark skin, a bald head, a four-foot long staff in each hand, and clad in the dark cloak of a Seeker, "I am also Number Five of the Seekers, known as the Elemental Ancient."

**Arthur**

A young boy who became the king of Camelot. He was the long-lost son of Uther Pendragon, king of the world, only discovering his blood-line when he pulled the magical sword, Excalibur, from the stone. Merlin was his mentor and taught him about the world. He first appeared in _Sword in the Stone_.

**Einon**

A cruel king from a kingdom neighboring Camelot. When he was a boy, he was stabbed in the heart, but was spared by the grace of the last dragon. However, he took his new chance at life and became even worse, becoming a tyrannical king with the help of the Heartless. He first appeared in _Dragonheart_.

_This WAS originally going to be based on the movie "Dragonheart", but I changed my mind recently and made it loosely based on Sword in the Stone._

_The squirrel-turned-girl's design was inspired by a DA artist named Kopanitsak. Check out her artwork, her pictures are pretty dang good. I used the design with her consent._


	59. War with Einon

_Well, I had a lot of crud going down recently with Prince of Heart II, mostly because it took me a while to figure out how to rearrange chapters._

Chapter 57: War With Einon

"SEEKER!" Sora, Kairi, and Sakuzy shouted, in unison while summoning their Keyblades.

Bulex spun his staffs around before crossing them in an 'X' pattern. The Keywielders ran for the Nobody only for the squirrel girl to get in their way.

"P-please." She said, looking a bit scared by the three, "Don't hurt him!"

"I know you were a squirrel, but you should probably get out of the way." Sakuzy said to the former-squirrel, "He's DANGEROUS."

"No, he's the one who helped me!" the former-squirrel yelled.

"It was not out of charity or pity." Bulex stated, "Any decent person would have helped, be they whole or Nobody."

There was a sudden rumbling that threw them all off balance.

"It seems as though Einon has arrived." Merlin said, looking out the window and seeing a vast army of Heartless.

"If I may make a suggestion." Bulex said, "We both desire the map piece to be extracted from that sword, which cannot be accomplished with the Heartless."

"So, we team up this once?" Sora asked.

"Yes." Bulex stated.

Sakuzy sighed before lowering his Keyblade, "Fine."

The three ran out with Bulex, Arthur, Merlin, and the former squirrel running right behind them. As they ran through the halls, they were joined by knights, drawing their swords or grabbing lances and halberds. Merlin waved his hands, replacing Arthur's robe and crown with a golden suit of armor and a helmet.

"You cannot go into battle tripping over that robe and fixing that crown." Merlin said.

"Thanks." Arthur said.

The army burst out of the castle in full force. Invading the kingdom was an army of Heartless, comprising of Soldiers, Shadows, and Armored Knights. However, the thing that caught all of their eyes was a massive one in the air. It looked like a huge, black dragon with a triangular head, four bright, yellow eyes, wings that made it look more like a jumbo-jet, a set of curving horns, and a long tail terminating in an arrow-head shaped tip. Riding on it was a man with wild, brown hair, a brown tunic, a white shirt, and carrying a longsword in hand. It didn't take a genius to know that this was Einon.

"KEY-WIELDERS!" he yelled, leaping off the Shadow Drake he was riding and landed in front of them.

"This should be easy." Sakuzy said as he charged at Einon, Arthur right behind him.

"Yeah!" Sora yelled, charging at Einon with Kairi. However, the Shadow Drake landed in their way and released a loud roar.

"I think we'll have to deal with that thing first." Kairi said, readying her Keyblade. The Shadow Drake began flapping its wings and took off, circling the two.

"How?" Sora asked.

"Obviously, by getting onto its level." Bulex stated, wondering whether the Keyblade Master was just stupid or if Xeydin's removal of his memory affected his mental abilities.

Sakuzy and Arthur were fighting Einon. Sakuzy swung his Keyblade at Einon, who blocked with his sword before deflecting the blow. He then caught a strike Arthur threw with Excalibur before swinging Arthur into Sakuzy, sending the two into a heap. Arthur rolled off Sakuzy before getting back up and charging at Einon, clashing blades with him.

"You thought you could be the king?" Einon asked with a smirk, "You're nothing more than a boy."

"At least he's got something you don't." Sakuzy growled, "A HEART."

Sakuzy lunged at Einon from behind. The king simply grabbed Sakuzy's Keyblade with his left hand and looked over with a smirk.

"Oh, but I DO have a heart." Einon said, letting the Keyblade fall onto his shoulder, but not showing any expression to show that it even even phased him, "A VERY special heart."

"What the heck?" Sakuzy asked only for Einon to punch him away before blocking Excalibur again.

With Sora, Kairi, and Bulex, the Shadow Drake was still flying above them. However, it suddenly gave a great writhe of pain before crashing onto the ground. Sora rushed at it and hit it on the head with his Treasure Seeker. The Shadow Drake recovered and lashed its tail out, knocking Sora into the air. It took back off into the air and opened its mouth wide to swallow Sora whole.

"EARTH!" Bulex shouted, slamming the yellow end of his second staff down on the ground. A spire of rock sprung from the ground and hit the Shadow Drake, knocking it away. He then began spinning the staff as the green end began to glow, "WIND!"

A gust of wind caught Sora as he descended and slowed his fall. When he hit the ground, the impact was more like he had just fallen onto his bed...at least, he ASSUMED that's what it was like. He got to his feet and looked up at the Shadow Drake just as it began firing blasts of dark fire at them. The two Keywielders and the Nobody began running from the blasts.

"LIGHT!" Kairi shouted.

"FIRE!" Bulex shouted as the red gem on his first staff began to glow.

A blast of light burst from Kairi's Keyblade as a fireball erupted from Bulex's staff. The two blasts were evaded and the Shadow Drake swooped down and slashed out at the two, knocking them both aside. Sora yelled as he charged and slashed with Treasure Seeker. The Shadow Drake looked down at his strike with a look of what appeared to be disappointment before casually knocking him aside with its tail. Sora tumbled back and felt something in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out a small gem with a dragon engraved on it. He could only yell one thing, recalling what Kairi had taught him to do back on the ship...

"GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

"Sora!" yelled a deep, female voice.

In a burst of fire, a large, blue dragon flew down. She looked over at Sora, who jumped onto her back.

"Let us ride!" Saphira proclaimed.

The Shadow Drake flew into the air and Saphira followed suit. The two dragons sent bursts of fire at each other, colliding and putting their blasts out. Saphira extended her neck and clamped down onto the Heartless, who began to claw at Saphira's side.

"I think Sora's kind of got this." Kairi said as she got up.

"Indeed." Bulex stated, turning to the Heartless army. The knights who charged out were being overwhelmed by the numbers. Kairi charged at the Heartless, slashing at them. Bulex snapped his fingers.

In swirls of white, Nobodies appeared. They had yellow helmets, red right arms, blue left arms, and green legs. The Elementals attacked the Heartless, headbutting them and causing lightning to strike from the sky or kicking them to blow them away with tornados, hit them with their right arm and causing them to burst into flames, or to hit them with their left arm and causing them to freeze over.

Merlin waved his arms and stone soldiers europted from the ground before taking their stone halberds and marching on the Heartless. He then waved his hand and more Heartless vanished into blue smoke.

The squirrel girl was running around, laughing while she did so. Heartless chased her before she got to a tree, which she tried climbing up. However, her new mass made that feat impossible, so she grabbed onto the nearest branch and hauled herself up as a Soldier swiped at her. She grabbed some acorns and began tossing them at the Heartless, who were swiping at her ankles. She then pulled a branch free before beating one across the head as it jumped up at her. She snickered before attacking the other Heartless with the branch. The attacking Heartless were now in a heap around her tree. She smiled, broadly, before looking over to the courtyard and seeing Sakuzy and Arthur getting thrashed by Einon. The evil king had beaten the two into a corner and raised his sword.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" the girl shouted as she jumped off the branch and charged at Einon. She cleared the distance in about five seconds before grabbing onto Einon's arm and sinking her teeth into his hand.

Einon shouted, more in surprise than pain, before punching the girl away, sending her onto the cobblestones.

Sora was still riding Saphira, who was continuing to slash and bite at the Shadow Drake. However, the Shadow Drake's right claw sprung open as it let loose another roar in pain.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

Back with Sakuzy and Arthur, the future Keywielder and king had gotten to their feet. Sakuzy had noticed the fight in the air and saw the Shadow Drake writhe in the air as Saphira continued clawing at it.

"Wait, whenever Einon's in pain, that dragon's also acting like it's hurt." Arthur said.

"So, if we cause HIM pain, we cause that Heartless pain." Sakuzy said, pulling out his charm with a flaming skull on it, "And I have just the charm. GHOST RIDER!"

"Sakuzy!" came a low, demonic voice. With a loud revving noise, a blazing motorcycle flew over to the two. Riding on it was a man with a spiked leather jacket, black skin-tight jeans, combat boots, but the most striking thing about him was that he seemed to be a flaming skeleton. Ghost Rider stepped off his motorcycle before pulling off a chain and saying, "Let there be vengeance."

"LASH 'IM!" Sakuzy shouted, thrusting out his Keyblade. Ghost Rider's chain burst into fire as he swung it over his head like a lasso. It caught Einon and wrapped him up, obviously causing him mass pain.

"ARTHUR!" Sakuzy shouted.

"I hope this works." Arthur said, raising Excalibur up and sending a burst of sparkles at Einon. Sakuzy then touched Excalibur with his Keyblade before sending a combined beam of light at Einon. The corrupt king yelled as he was struck by the combined blow. The two then charged at Einon, slashing at him.

"GHOST RIDER!" Sakuzy yelled, grabbing Arthur and turning him away from the Spirit of Vengeance.

"Your soul is stained with the blood of the innocent." Ghost Rider hissed, walking up to Einon and grabbing him, forcing him to stand at eye-level to the (rather tall) skeleton man, "Feel their PAIN..."

Einon may have been invincible due to his heart. However, his soul was obviously a weak-point. He yelled in pain as he had to stare into the Spirit of Vengeance's eyes. He saw all the pain he caused, the peasants he worked to death, the families he destroyed, and the mass suffering he brought onto his kingdom.

Meanwhile, above them, the Shadow Drake began bellowing in pain. Saphira kicked the Shadow Drake to the ground with a resounding crash.

"SAPHIRA!" Sora yelled.

Saphira let loose a burst of flame as she dove at the Shadow Drake. Sora then jumped off his dragon with Treasure Seeker in hand. He roared as he brought it down on its chest, piercing it. It writhed in pain before laying down. Saphira smiled before vanishing.

Einon yelled before Ghost Rider tossed him away. He whistled (somehow) and caused his motorcycle to rev up and run over to him. Ghost Rider got onto his bike and laughed before vanishing. Sakuzy swung his Keyblade overhead before driving it down into Einon's chest.

The evil king yelled before slowly stopping. Half of a heart came out of the Shadow Drake while another half came out of Einon. The two merged before vanishing into Kingdom Hearts.

Kairi, Bulex, the Elementals, and the Knights had beaten the Heartless away and forced them to vanish into darkness. Kairi panted as she sat down, dispelling Flowering Strength. Bulex remained silent as how bowed his head and his Nobodies vanished.

Arthur helped the former-squirrel up. He gave her a small smile, "Uh...thanks for helping us. What's your name?"

"I...don't have one." The girl said, looking a little dazed as she stood up straight. She shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Might I suggest one?" Merlin asked, appearing behind them.

"Yeah, Merlin, how about you give her one?" Arthur asked.

Merlin stood before the girl and held up his hand, "I give you a name that means 'fair'. I name you...Gwinevere."

The girl, or Gwinevere, smiled widely at that before hugging Arthur, taking the young king entirely by surprise. Sora looked over as Treasure Seeker began glowing. A beam of light erupted from his Keyblade and hit Excalibur. It slowly removed a slip of parchment from the blade, just like it had done with the Sorcerer's Stone in Hogwarts. Sora took the piece before pocketing it. He heard something and dodged as a fireball flew right at him. Sakuzy and Kairi quickly grouped around Sora as Bulex held his staffs out.

"The Heartless are banished and the map piece is found, so our truce has ended." Bulex stated, spinning his weapons in circles before crossing them in front of him.

**Saphira**

A blue dragon from a faraway land dominated by a wicked king. Her egg was stolen by a hand of freedom fighters and hatched when touched by a farm boy and chose him as her partner. When Sora calls, she appears to be his mount and cause massive damage with her claws and teeth and fire breath. She first appeared in _Eragon_.

**Ghost Rider**

A human named Johnny Blaze sold his soul to save his stepfather from dying of cancer. However, he was double-crossed and had a demon sealed inside of him as a result. However, he refused to take orders and became a rogue superhero, adopting the name Ghost Rider and using his powers to fight evil-doers. When Sakuzy calls, he will use the power of hellfire and his ability to burn the souls of the wicked to keep enemies at bay. He first appeared in_ Ghost Rider_.

**Shadow Drake**

A Heartless pet that belongs to Einon. It resembles a giant, winged dragon and can go to astonishing heights in the air. Einon had, apparently, split his own heart to create it.

**Elementals**

The Nobodies controlled by Bulex. Their heads are yellow and can hit enemies with thunder, their arms are blue and red and can send out fire or ice, and their legs are green and can cause tornadoes.

**Guinevere**

A young girl who was once a squirrel. She fell for Arthur when he was being mentored by Merlin, but was left heart-broken when she learned Arthur was a human. She was later found by Bulex, who turned her into a human. She first appeared in _Sword in the Stone_.

_Saphira's Flame Dive, Ghost Rider's Penance Stare, and Arthur's Excalibur Strike._


	60. Bulex

Chapter 58: Bulex

Bulex charged at the Key-wielders, spinning his staffs. Sora lunged at the Seeker and brought his Keyblade smashing into one of his staffs. Sakuzy rushed next to him and brought Eagle Feather down only to have it be blocked by his other staff. Kairi let out a battle cry as she charged at the Nobody. Bulex did a back-flip as he jumped behind his two attackers. Kairi's yell of adrenaline swiftly turned into one of confusion as she crashed into Sora and Sakuzy.

"Ow...that hurt..." Sakuzy groaned, shaking his head.

"FIRE!" Bulex shouted, sending another blast of fire at the trio. The three regained their senses and evaded the fireball.

"BLAST!" Sakuzy shouted, sending a blue ball flying at Bulex. The ball exploded, but Bulex held out the green end of his second staff.

"WIND." he shouted, blowing the explosion away.

"Good idea." Sakuzy said, spinning his Keyblade, "WIND!"

A tornado erupted from the Eagle Feather. Bulex slammed the yellow end of his staff onto the ground.

"EARTH."

Spires of stone erupted from the ground and blocked the oncoming blast of wind. The stones then shattered and flew at Sakuzy, who back-flipped out of the way as Kairi shout another beam of light at Bulex. The Nobody jumped and used a blast of wind to suspend him into the air and send him flying at Sora. He then began striking at him. Sora blocked with his Keyblade, which he felt grow considerably colder as the blue end had hit him. Treasure Seeker began to frost over until he deflected the strike and hit Bulex on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Sakuzy and Kairi jumped at Bulex before swinging their Keyblades at him. Bulex grabbed Flowering Strength and pulled it from Kairi's hand and brought it into Sakuzy, who blocked with Eagle Feather. Kairi's Keyblade vanished and reappeared in Kairi's hand as Bulex jumped out of the circle of death that had been created. He tossed the two staffs into the air as Sakuzy charged. He delivered an open-fist punch to Sakuzy's solar plexis before kicking him in the face, knocking him into a heap. Sora darted behind Bulex and slashed at him only to see Bulex grab his Keyblade, pull it out of his hand and punch Sora in the face. He held up his arms and caught his staffs before spinning them in circles. Torrents of water erupted from one and quickly tossed Sakuzy into the castle walls before a powerful tornado whipped up with rocks spinning within it picked up Sora and Kairi, knocking them senseless and sending them flying in opposite directions. The Key-Wielder and Princess of Heart landed in two piles on the opposite ends of the courtyard, Sora landing next to Sakuzy, who was starting to pick himself up.

Bulex stepped over to Kairi, who began to push herself to her feet as she looked up at the ebony-skinned Nobody. Only a few minutes ago, she had been fighting alongside him. Now, it seemed all too obvious that they would die by his hands.

Bulex pointed the red end of his first staff at Kairi and flames began to dance around it. He was ready to shout "FIRE!" when he suddenly stopped. Kairi's eyes were practically pleading him to let them live. He reminded himself that he didn't have a heart as he held his staff up.

"NO!" Sora shouted as he hurled his Keyblade at Bulex in a Strike Raid. Bulex wheeled around and narrowly dodged the Keyblade. Sora was on his knees and panting as his Keyblade returned. Sora got to his feet and charged at Bulex as Sakuzy began following. The two were in pain and it showed by the fact that their charge was really more of a slow trot. Bulex held up his second staff and planted it on the ground.

"EARTH!" he shouted, a sphere of stone erupting from the ground and engulfing him. He was confused. He needed to get away. He clapped his hands together, closed his eyes, and sat cross-legged in the middle of the dome and began to meditate. What should he do?

"What did he just do?" Sakuzy asked, panting like a tired dog.

"I...don't know...but I'm not complaining..." Sora replied, walking over to Kairi. The two raised their Keyblades and said, in unison, "HEAL."

Green lights appeared around them and they felt their wounds heal and their energy return. Kairi stood up and hugged Sora.

"Thank you." She simply said.

"No problem." Sora replied, wrapping his arms around Kairi as well.

"Isn't that nice?" Sakuzy asked himself as he pulled out a potion and quickly downed it, regaining his own energy.

The rock dome suddenly crumbled as Bulex stood up and looked at the three. Sakuzy rushed over to Sora and Kairi as the three readied their Keyblades.

"Kurix sent me with orders to try and kill you and retrieve the map piece. I have tried." Bulex stated as he lowered his staffs, which vanished in swirls of white and black, "And I shall make my leave now."

The three looked like they had just been hit by one of Petross' punches. This Seeker had nearly killed all of them and now he was leaving them alive? AND with the map piece?

"Th-thanks." Sora said.

"Do not thank me." Bulex stated as darkness began to swirl around him, "Kurix will give me more...specific orders when I return to our base. Pray our paths never cross again, Keywielders."

"BULEX!" called Guinevere. Bulex looked over to see the girl who had once been a squirrel. She was hanging onto Arthur's arm, the young king looking confused, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"It was not a problem." Bulex stated. He almost smiled at that point, but the darkness quickly caused him to vanish.

"The Nobody is gone, Einon is vanquished along with the Heartless, and the Map Piece is found." Merlin said, "Keywielders, I believe you should return to your quest."

"Yeah, I think it is." Sakuzy said, calling the Gummi Ship down and letting it beam them up.

**Bulex**

Number Five of the Seekers, also known as the Elemental Ancient. He wields two staffs, which can wield the powers of fire, ice, earth, and wind. He also happens to be a stunning martial artist. He seems...different from most Seekers. He didn't hesitate to harm Sora, Sakuzy, and Kairi, but also left when he had a chance to kill them and turned Guinevere into a human. Is he really a bad guy?

_Thus ends Camelot. Full credit to Kopanitsak, whose pictures helped me get off the ground and inspiring me to get to this world._

_My ideal voice for Bulex is the man with the all-too-awesomely deep voice, Kevin Michael Richardson. If you have another suggestion, I'd like to hear it._


	61. Crescent Hijacks Again

Chapter : Crescent Hijacks Again

Ryan and co.'s ship...

"Mandy have you seen my old hoodie?" Ryan asked, knocking on Mandy's door before opening it.

"Yeah." Mandy shrugged as Ryan immediately saw that she was wearing it.

"You stole it AGAIN?" Ryan asked, looking dumbfounded to say the least.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" Mandy asked. Ryan looked around her room and discovered that it was mostly filled with random objects. Summon Charms dangled from a chandelier, a Jack-in-the-box was on her nightstand along with about twelve tangled slinkies. Books were strewn about the place along with a disco ball, a lava lamp, a foot locker, five license plates, and a moose head trophy.

"What're all these things?" Ryan asked, looking to his right and noticing a pink lawn flamingo. He reached out for it, "Donald said someone swiped this MONTHS ago..."

"Take that and I'll chop your hand off!" Mandy snapped.

Ryan withdrew his hand, quickly. Mandy sighed before massaging her temple.

"Another one of your headaches?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah." Mandy groaned. Apparently, she had suffered from headaches for the last five years or so.

"OOH! I WONDER HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK INTO THE STORY!"

The two jumped as Crescent popped out of the mattress.

"CRESCENT!" Ryan shouted, "What're you doing here?!"

"Well, I THINK I'm supposed to say 'I snuck onboard to help you guys out', but I personally think that the author wanted me back in the story to appeal to more fans." Crescent shrugged, "Gotta give the people what they want!"

"What?" Mandy asked, looking confused.

"I KNOW, right?" Crescent exclaimed, "I mean, if you're gonna include ME in this story, FINE. But at least JUSTIFY it! Am I on orders from Vinnie? Did I sneak aboard? Do I wanna help you out? Do I just wanna annoy people? Will this have ANYTHING to do with the all-in-all story?"

Though Mandy had been in and out of the Restoration Committee's HQ like clockwork, she hadn't really interacted much with Vincent's cell. As such, people like Petross, Blader, Luneth, Riley, more recently Cecil, and the nutty ninja were pretty much strangers to her. She was having an internal debate about whether or not that was a good thing...

"So, you're stuck here now?" Mandy asked.

"Well, considering I doubt I'd survive the airless vacuum of space even WITH my healing factor, yep." Crescent nodded, darting away at that point.

"Who is he?" Mandy asked, looking freaked-out.

"I've known that guy for over a year and I still don't-" Ryan froze as he saw a balloon outside. Soon, it was joined by more balloons and a rather colorful house. Inside was an elderly man, an Asian kid dressed in a boyscout uniform, a golden retriever with an odd collar, and a giant, multi-colored bird.

"Afternoon." The man simply said.

"Know..." Ryan murmured. He sighed before saying, "Mandy? I think I'm having one of your headaches..."

_The people in the house were Carl Fredrickson, Russell, Dug, and Kevin from Pixar's Up. And no, they'll have no actual impact on the plot._

_Why'd I bring Crescent into the story? Because I could._


	62. Kauai

Chapter : Kauai

Ryan, Mandy, Donald, Goofy, and Crescent were deposited onto a beach.

"Great, just like the islands back home!" Ryan grinned.

"Why does our entire trip focus around going to sunny areas?" Mandy asked Donald and Goofy.

"Don't ask ME." Donald said.

"It's all convenience so the writer could have the little guy be in sunlight." Crescent said, "I thought EVERYONE knew that!"

"Is this a regular thing with him?" Mandy asked.

"YES." Donald stated.

_A wave splashes onto a small orb. It glows bright green before expanding into the word 'Kauai' and getting washed away._

"So, you guys go off searching for the map piece and I'll go see whether or not there are some hot chicks sunbathing!" Crescent grinned, making to walk away, but was caught by Donald's staff, "C'mon, you did it in the past! I saw _Three Cabilleros_!"

Donald's response was to belt Crescent over the head with his wand. The nutty ninja was sent into a heap before getting back up.

"Wow, betcha have a great golf-swing, too!" Crescent grinned.

"Well, pardon me." Crescent said, standing up and pointing to the left, "I have ANOTHER plot-thread to appear in!"

Crescent then walked behind a palm tree, but didn't appear past the other side. The remaining four looked over the tree and found no sign of Crescent. He seemed to have vanished off the face of the world.

"How did he do that?" Mandy asked.

Elsewhere, a hunched figure stepped through a portal of darkness. He snarled as he looked up at the bright sun. He hated this weather...he then looked over the terrain and saw a band of Heartless approaching.

"Pathetic Heartless..." he hissed in a soft, yet threatening voice. His job would be a little bit harder with those things around...

Meanwhile, out in space...

"So good to be having my evil laboratory back." Murmured a large, pink and purple alien with four eyes and a large mouth, "Still not the same as having company...pity leaving that little Earth girl back in Hawaii, letting 626 become a space captain, and Pleakley becoming a teacher on Earth."

"Yep, info-dumps save the author a LOTTA trouble!" exclaimed Crescent as he popped up next to the large alien.

"Wha-who are you?!" the alien yelled, clearly taken aback.

"Crescent Sycotara at your service!" Crescent exclaimed, shaking Jumba's hand, rigorously, "And I know that you're Jumba Jukiba, the famous intergalactic evil genius! I must say that I am a HUGE fan of your work, what with creating a bunch of experiments that fill the time of Disney fanatics as well as giving people reason to write lame Kingdom Hearts fics!"

"I-I'm sorry, what?" The alien, Jumba, asked, still confused by Crescent.

"Can I ask ya something?" Crescent asked, releasing the hand and wrapping an arm around Jumba's shoulders, "How come you've got a Russian accent? How many aliens live in Russia? It just doesn't make sense!"

BOOM!

The two were sent to the ground as an explosion blew a hole through a nearby wall. Jumba landed on Crescent, resulting in a rather audible crunching noise.

"Hello, old friend." Came a heavily accented voice. A large, gray alien with a whale-like head and blue eyes walked through the hole and held out a small, white fuzzy creature with a red cape.

"Dr. Hamsterviel!" Jumba said, looking horrified as he stood up, revealing a crushed-looking Crescent, "I thought you were in prison!"

"I was, but Gantu broke me out." Hamsterviel answered.

"Oh goodie, a cute fluffy gerbil thing..." Crescent groaned as his limbs snapped back into place. He stood up as his body continued to heal over. He then jumped over and picked up Hamsterviel, "Aw, you're so cute!"

"STOP THAT! I AM DOCTOR JACQUE VON HAMSTERVIEL, NOT A GERBIL!" Hamsterviel shouted, "GANTU!"

"Yes, sir!" Gantu said, grabbing Crescent and slamming him into the ground.

"OW! Man, that is just not cool!" Crescent yelled as he stood up, his injuries healing over.

"Oh, I see that YOU are one of those 'experiments' Maleficent was talking about." Hamsterviel said.

"Yep, shoved a Heal Materia right into my heart!" Crescent grinned, "It dissolved into my bloodstream and is CONSTANTLY healing me now!"

"Then you shall be most useful." Hamsterviel said, snapping his fingers. Gantu grabbed Crescent by the head and began lumbering towards Jumba, "I see you have your old lab back, my dear friend. How about we...resume our old partnership? You creating experiments and me making the business deals? Do you not remember the good times we had together?"

"GOOD times? BAH!" Jumba scoffed, "All I remember is you stealing all credit for experiments and snitching on Jumba to the Galactic Federation!"

"Does Buzz Lightyear know about this?" Crescent asked in accusing voice. He then froze before saying, "Wait, that's Galactic ALLIANCE, so that reference doesn't make sense...like the Nintendo Speed Board, why did that thing even exist?"

"Fine, I guess I shall have to make you create a new experiment BY FORCE!" Hamsterviel shouted.

At that point, Gantu pulled out a plasma gun and pointed it at Jumba.

"But it would take YEARS to create a new experiment." Jumba said.

"Oh really?" Hamsterviel asked, hopping over to the computer, "Then what do you call THIS?"

Hamsterviel then pulled up a capsule, which contained some orange slime shaped like a certain, blue alien that was a friend of Sora's.

"Looks like what happened when I ate some silly putty and sneezed." Crescent said.

"Gantu, restrain the ninja!" Hamsterviel ordered. Gantu grabbed Crescent in one hand and held him up.

"Oh, couldn't you come up with something a little more creative?" Crescent asked, feet flailing around.

"I could." Hamsterviel replied, pulling out a large serringe, "A bit of your blood shall be added to this new experiment, giving them your healing factor!"

"You call THAT original? Then again, I'm an obvious rip-off of Deadpool, so who am I to criticize?" Hamsterviel ignored Crescent's statement and simply shoved the serringe into Crescent's chest, "HOLY CRUD, THAT SMARTS!"

—

A very confused Ryan, Mandy, Donald, and Goofy were walking across the island world. It reminded Ryan of Destiny Island. A bit of nostalgia hit the young boy, missing the home he had recently adopted...but it was short-lived as the bright sunlight began to charge him like a battery.

"Hoo boy! I feel so ALIVE!" Ryan grinned, jittering.

"Take a deep breath, bub." Mandy said, slugging Ryan's shoulder, but in a rather playful way.

"What's THAT?" Donald asked, pointing offshore.

The others looked and saw two creatures on a small piece of land—one was reddish-orange, rather long and had four volcano-like growths along its back and the other was large, blue, and had a head that resembled an octopus. The first creature shot some lava into the ocean while the second one sprayed water onto it, causing the magma to harden.

"THOSE are alien experiments." said a voice. The four turned to see a young, Hawaiian girl with a red dress and a rather ugly-looking doll in her hands. She then brightened up as she saw Donald and Goofy, "DONALD! GOOFY!"

"Heya, Lilo!" Goofy exclaimed before pointing at the superhuman and Key-wielder next to him, "These're Ryan and Mandy!"

"Lilo? I've heard about you!" Ryan said, "I'm a friend of Kairi's!"

"What are you up to, Lilo?" Donald asked.

"Just doing my rounds." Lilo answered, "We found every experiment and I've gotta check up on 'em."

"But where's Stitch gone to?" Goofy asked.

Lilo's excited expression suddenly fell as she answered, in a somewhat saddened voice, "Stitch's gone into space to be a captain. He seemed like he really wanted to do that...and Jumba wanted his lab back...and Pleakley wanted to be a teacher."

"Who're these guys she's talking about?" Mandy asked.

"They were two friends of her's." Goofy answered, "But they were also aliens."

"Not just friends." Lilo said, "They were ohana."

"It means 'family'." Ryan said to Mandy, "Kairi told me."

"Uh...hey, did you name those two?" Donald asked, pointing at the two experiments on the island.

"Yeah, the fire one's Yin and the water one's Yang." Lilo answered, pointing to each one in turn. She then pointed to a purple creature with a rather large posterior, "The one with the big butt's Cannonball."

"What's he for?" Mandy asked. Her answer was given as Cannonball jumped into the water and caused a rather large wave. Mandy quickly ran, but froze and put Ryan in her place before taking off.

"HEY!" Ryan shouted before getting quickly soaked. He spat sea water out of his mouth as he looked at her with an angry expression, "Oh, it...is...ON!"

Ryan yelled as he took off after Mandy, grabbing her by the legs, flying about a mile off-shore and dropping her into the water. Mandy growled as she stood up and ran after Ryan, who laughed as he flew away.

"Hey, how about we try and see Stitch?" Donald asked.

"He's deep in space by now." Lilo said.

"But didn't that Gantu guy crash his ship here?" Goofy asked.

Lilo's face suddenly brightened up.

**Jumba**

A rather portly mad scientist alien. He was the one who created Stitch and his 625 cousins. He seems to enjoy being evil, but he definitely has a soft-spot. He was recently granted his lab back, but has now been taken hostage by his former-partner, Dr. Hamsterviel and is being forced to create a new experiement. He first appeared in _Lilo & Stitch_.

**Dr. Hamsterviel**

A truly evil scientist who seeks to conquer the Galactic Federation. He used to work with Jumba, but took credit for all the experiments created and tried to use them to his own means. He sold out Jumba, who was arrested for creating the 626 illegal experiments before being arrested himself. His lackey, Gantu, later helped him escape. He is currently allied with Maleficent. He first appeared in _Stitch: The Movie_.

**Gantu**

The giant, former captain of the Galactic Federation. While not entirely evil, he tends to follow his orders in a rather ruthless manner and is rather quick to pull out his blaster. He currently works for Hamsterviel. He first appeared in _Lilo & Stitch_.

**Lilo**

A young girl who lives in Kauai. She doesn't have a lot of friends due to her weird habits and ideas. Because of those, she was quick to choose Stitch as a friend. The two spent a good time finding Jumba's experiments and finding the place where they truly belong. However, she decided to let the alien members of her ohana go into space, hoping that they will be happy. She first appeared in _Lilo & Stitch_.

_Once again, credit to my friend, Aaron1248 for coming up with this idea._


	63. Leroy

Chapter 61: Leroy

Hamsterviel emptied the serringe of Crescent's blood into the chamber containing the orange goo.

"Huh, using my blood to create a constantly-healing being of pure destruction?" Crescent asked. His current situation? Shackled to a wall by his arms and legs, "Gotta say, THIS never happened."

"But...you just said that it wasn't original." Gantu said, looking rather confused.

"Hey, it's been about a month since the dang author wrote anything in this." Crescent replied, "Seriously, can't the guy stop watching Hetalia for five minutes? He used to be real good at this..."

_And then a flying brick hit Crescent on the head._

"OUCH!" Crescent yelled, the brick shattering on impact with his skull.

_Oh, I LOVE doing that..._

"Uh...sir? Where did that brick come from?" Gantu asked, looking over.

"How should I know?" Hamsterviel asked.

"'Cuz YOU don't have awesome fourth-wall breaking powers!" Crescent grinned.

"Why won't this ninja shut his mouth?" Hamsterviel asked.

"Trust me, I do not know." Jumba replied, pressing a few buttons. He quickly put something into the drive and a song began to play.

_Aloha-oe!_

_Aloha-oe!_

"What is with that song?!" Hamsterviel shouted.

"Just...something to help me focus." Jumba replied before pushing one final button, "It is finished!"

The pod then lowered itself into the computer. There were several flashes of green light before it emerged, filled with steam. It opened up to release a dense cloud that obscured everyone's vision for a few seconds. When the steam cleared, a koala-like creature that was colored a shade of pale red. It growled as it stepped out.

"Excellent!" Hamsterviel exclaimed, "NOW, I shall give it a name! I will call it...LEROY!"

"Leroy?" Gantu asked.

"What?" Hamsterviel asked, defensively, "It is a proud name!"

"Yeah, for an office worker." Crescent said, "And I thought the author was unoriginal! I'm SERIOUS, that first one was a cheap knock-off of Transformers!"

_And another brick hit Crescent on the head._

Another brick flew out of nowhere to hit Crescent on the head. The three aliens looked around.

"Sir, that's the second brick." Gantu said, "I am fairly concerned by this..."

"The source of these flying bricks are of little concern at this point." Hamsterviel said, "Now, to-"

CRASH!

"Jumba!" exclaimed a higher voice. A gangly alien with one eye, a single antenna, three fingers on each hand, and about six legs walked out, "Being a teacher's a NIGHTMARE. I never get to do anything and-"

"LEROY! ATTACK!" Hamsterviel ordered. The red creature yelled as it tackled the other alien and tied him next to Crescent.

"Heya, Pleakley, I'm Crescent!" Crescent greeted, cheerily, "My hobbies include fighting, killing, getting hit by flying bricks, breaking the fourth wall, and making random references that no one in this reality will get in a million years! By the way, did ya know that Marty McFly from _Back to the Future_ appeared on _Scrubs_? That was weird..."

"Now, for your punishment..." Hamsterviel said, "You shall be ejected into space-"

"Ha! Joke's on you!" Crescent called, "I can survive in space like Sonic characters!"

"Directly into a black hole!" Hamsterviel concluded, pointing at a vortex outside space.

"Huh...didn't count on that." Crescent said.

"But we seem to be missing the guest of honor in this reunion!" Hamsterviel exclaimed, "Gantu, summon Experiment 626!"

"On it, sir." Gantu saluted before pressing a few buttons. Within a matter of seconds, a large spaceship flew over and a blue, koala-like creature ran out.

"Jumba?" he asked.

"Not quite." Hamsterviel said, snapping his fingers, "Leroy, ATTACK!"

Leroy growled as he sprung at Stitch. The blue alien yelled as he rolled away from his attacker. He then pulled out a blaster and fired it at Leroy. A smoking hole appeared in the other experiment's chest, but it quickly healed over.

"Yep, my healing factor!" Crescent said as Stitch and Leroy fought in the background, "Heals no matter how much crap is thrown at you, as long as the brain's in tact! The main result of cruel experiments Maleficent performed on me. WHY am I saying this? Well, it's been months and-"

_Flying brick._

"OUCH!" Crescent yelled as a third brick hit him on the head.

"Seriously, WHERE did those bricks come from?" Gantu yelled.

Gantu was never answered as Leroy slammed Stitch onto the ground before lifting him up, spinning him in the air, and hurling him into a transparent container.

"Well...things have gone down the crapper quickly." Crescent said, "But hey, something might come around. Heck, maybe it'll change to another POV right about-"

—

"Why'd you bring us to Gantu's ship?" Donald asked Lilo as the Hawaiian girl led them over to a large, wrecked ship located somewhere in a jungle.

"It's the only other ship on the island." Lilo replied, "Besides, Gantu's stuck here, too. Maybe he'll just let me call Stitch."

"Well, not gonna get this done with here." Mandy said, walking over to the ship and banging her Keyblade on the side, making an audible clanging noise and causing a staircase to fall out of the ship.

"SHE has a Keyblade, too?" Lilo asked, looking ecstatic.

"Yeah and, if it wasn't for that, I probably would've shot her out into space LONG ago." Ryan said.

"And I would've grabbed you by the shirt to pull you out with me." Mandy stated as she walked into the ship.

"Hello?" Ryan called, hearing a rather audible echo ringing through the ship, "Wow, nice echo."

"Yeah, yeah, whadda ya want?" came an irritable voice. Out of the ship waddled a short, yellow, bear-like creature with two buck teeth, large black eyes, and a big, orange nose.

"Heya, Experiment 625!" Goofy greeted.

"Oh, it's YOU guys again." 625 said, irritably, "Sorry, but the whale head's gone into space, leavin' me stuck here."

"We just came to use the phone." Lilo said, nobody noticing as Mandy began rushing around, taking whatever she could get her hands on or wasn't bolted down.

"Sorry, no deal." 625 said, stubbornly, as he turned away.

"What if I gave you a name?" Lilo asked.

"Then...maybe." 625 said, looking over at Lilo.

"How about...Reuben?" Lilo asked.

"Named after a sandwich...and a pretty good one, too." 625 said to himself before saying, "I'll take it!"

"Will you help us call Stitch then?" Lilo asked, looking excited.

"Well...I'm not sure if I'll get this thing to work..." 625 (or Ruben as he was now called) said, looking at the massive computer with a worried look.

"You have all of Stitch's powers, right?" Goofy asked, "So, you should be as smart and as strong as 'im!"

"I never used those powers before, but I'll try..." Reuben said. He clenched his eyes shut and yelled out. A second pair of arms popped out of each side of his chest, "Hey, cool!"

"Creepy's the better word." Mandy said as she tied up her stolen goodies in a small bundle, the thing she used for a sack looking oddly like one of Ryan's red hoodies. No one noticed this as Reuben began clambering around the ship, moving wires and adjusting the screen.

—

"Well, that was convenient." Crescent simply said, leaving everyone in the room confused.

_Incoming call from Earth..._ chimed a computer. The nearby screen flickered and Lilo's face appeared.

"Hello?" Lilo called, "Jumba?"

"HI, LITTLE GIRL!" Crescent exclaimed, "I'm Crescent Psychotara! Currently, I'm being held hostage by a giant space whale, a small gerbil thing, and a clone of your alien pet! Oh and Jumba, Pleakley, and Stitch are here, too! Ain't this a weird situation?"

Lilo looked at Crescent before looking over the room and seeing that the psychotic ninja was right!

"Oh no!" Lilo yelled before Leroy pointed his blaster at the screen and fired, destroying it instantly.

"Aw, I wanted to see the next episode of _Psych_!" Crescent moaned.

"This person's insane babble is starting to annoy me." Hamsterveil stated, "Leroy, put those pests into that escape pod!" Hamsterviel ordered.

The red alien experiment gave a nod before pulling Jumba, Crescent, Pleakley, and Stitch before tossing them all into a small pod. He slammed the door shut and pressed a large, red button that ejected it into space.

"Oh snap, we're done for!" Crescent wailed, "There's things I want to do! Sights I want to see...like Yuffie in her underwear!"

"Do not worry, we might be able to get out of this." Jumba said, "If we have an object about fifteen inches in diameter interfere with the ship's warp-drive..."

"Sciencey-science-science, got it." Crescent interrupted.

"I have the rock Lilo gave me before we left!" Pleakley said and, with much difficult, pulled out a medium-sized rock.

"That's SEVENTEEN inch diameter." Jumba scolded.

Stitch's response was to grab the rock, take about two inchess off with a single bite, and crawled into the engine.

"So, which god do ya think we'll meet?" Crescent asked, "Morgan Freeman, Q, or that moron who gives powers to idiot teenagers because he's bored?"

—

"Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley are in trouble!" Lilo yelled.

"Was there a guy with spiky, white hair who liked talking?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah, that guy said everything." Lilo answered.

"Crescent's there." Donald simply said, an unimpressed look on his face.

"Well, we've gotta go help 'em then!" Ryan said, summoning two balls of sunlight in his hands before they dissipated.

"My Keyblade's not picking up anything here, so maybe we should go looking for those guys. The map piece might be nearby." Mandy suggested.

"Reuben, would you be able to get this ship going?" Lilo asked.

"In two shakes of a lamb's tail." Reuben saluted before scrambling around the ship. Before too long, the ship lifted off into the air and took off into space.

**Leroy**

An experiment created by Dr. Jumba Jookiba to serve Dr. Hamsterviel. He's more powerful than Stitch, easily over-powering him, and has Crescent's healing factor. He first appeared in _Leroy & Stitch_.

**Pleakley**

A rather effeminate alien who was sent to Kauai with Jumba. He is fascinated with Earth and studies every aspect of it, though he believes that the mosquito is an endangered species. He lived with Lilo's family for a while, but left to become a teacher...which he quickly became bored with. He first appeared in _Lilo & Stitch_.

**Stitch**

The six hundred and twenty-sixth experiment created by the genius Jumba Jookiba. He has an extra set of arms, can see in the dark, is super-intelligent, and can lift objects three thousand times his own size. He fought alongside Sora for a while, but eventually returned to Kauai to be with Lilo. He later left to become captain of a battle cruiser. He first appeared in _Lilo & Stitch_.

**Reuben**

The six hundred and twenty-fifth experiment created by the genius Jumba Jookiba. While he has all of Stitch's powers, he's unwilling to use them, instead opting to make sandwiches. He worked with Gantu for a while, but was left on his own when Gantu left to continue serving Hamsterveil. He first appeared in _Stitch: The Movie_.


	64. Aloha

Chapter 62: Aloha

"I think I've got their signal." Mandy said.

"I think I've got their signal, CAPTAIN." Ryan corrected, turning his chair around with an intense look in his eyes.

"Get outta the chair!" Donald squawked, "It's gone to your head!"

"NO." Ryan stated.

"We should be there in a few minutes." Reuben said. He then looked at Lilo before saying, "Why'd ya let my cousin go in the first place?"

"He really wanted to be a captain of that big, red ship." Lilo said, "So, I let him do it."

"Seems pretty dumb to me." Mandy shrugged.

"It's about 'aloha'." Lilo said, looking somewhat defensive, "Aloha means 'hello' AND 'goodbye'. Everything you do eventually comes around to you."

"And so far, I think the thing's that come back around resulted in your buddies getting caught and giving us some work to do." Mandy stated, "It's called 'looking at the big picture', try it some-"

Ryan jumped out of the seat and ran over to Mandy, an angry look on his face.

"Hey, YOU try getting close to someone and then losing that person." Ryan stated, "I'VE dealt with that. You haven't. So shut up."

Ryan dashed back to his chair and turned it around.

"Well sorry." Mandy simply said.

"Dr. Hamsterveil's ship's here!" Goofy called.

"Arm photon torpedoes and prepare to fire!" Ryan ordered. Everyone gave him a confused look. He sighed before saying, "Gimme a spacesuit and shoot me out. How'd Kirk deal with this?" (1)

Reuben tossed Ryan a space suit, which the hyperfreak quickly pulled onto himself, leaving the gloves off. He saluted as he stepped into a chamber. Donald pushed a switch and ejected him into space. Ryan sighed as he felt himself absorbing pure solar energy from a nearby sun. He gave a wide grin before flying at a nearby ship.

"Special delivery!" Ryan exclaimed, creating a large ball of solar energy in his hands. He pulled it back like a baseball and hurled it at the ship, causing it to rock to one side. He sped back to his ship and entered back in.

"What was the point of that?" Mandy asked.

"Distraction." Ryan simply replied as he pulled off his spacesuit, "They'll be focusing on the area I just damaged, so we'll just fly in and deal with 'em while they're distracted."

"And you thought of that all by yourself?" Mandy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, it was my idea!" Lilo called waving a hand.

Ryan looked embarrassed as they entered the ship with, as expected, no notice from the crew.

"Well, this oughta be easy." Goofy said.

"I wouldn't count on it." Came a low voice.

Gantu stepped out with his blaster pointing at the group. Ryan was more surprised by the fact that no one had noticed someone that large.

"Oh heya, blubber-butt." Reuben said, sounding rather nonchalant that his former-partner was pointing a gun at them.

"Friend of yours?" Mandy asked.

"No, he's a doofus." Lilo replied, "He tried taking all the experiments for Hamsterveil when Stitch and I were rounding them up."

"Unfortunately for you, Hamsterveil has left with Leroy-"

"Leroy? What kinda name is that?" Mandy asked herself.

"And has probably already captured the remaining experiments." Gantu concluded. He then noticed what Mandy said and added, "And I know it's a lame name. Now, come with me or else!"

"Oh yeah, ONE huge whale guy with a gun against..." Mandy said, summoning her Treasure Seeker, "ONE Keyblade wielder, a super guy, the king's captain of the guard, a wizard, and a super-powerful experiment. We don't stand a chance, do we?"

Gantu's response was to summon a rather large horde of Soldier, Power Wild, and Neo Shadow Heartless to surround them.

"Nope, I don't think we do." Reuben said, looking suddenly timid.

At that point, everyone present realized that if they acted, they would quickly be over-taken by Heartless. Mandy growled as she dismissed her Keyblade. A screen then lowered down to Gantu's shoulder-level. With a flicker, Hamsterveil's face appeared.

"Excellent, Gantu." the rodent-like evil mastermind cackled, "Now, throw these pests into the detention compound...and then you are fired."

"What? FIRED?!" Gantu shouted, looking shocked.

"Yes, FIRED." Hamsterveil stated, "Leroy has proven to be more useful than you, so imprison them and get out!"

"Aloha, Hamster boy!" Ryan called, "What ya do always comes back around!"

Gantu clenched his fist before stomping on some Heartless, causing them to vanish.

"Everyone, get together!" he shouted, "We're dealing with these things!"

"Alright then!" Mandy grinned, summoning her Keyblade and charging at the Heartless, striking at them.

Donald squawked as he began casting Firaga at every Heartless that came in close. Goofy began spinning like a tornado, hitting all the Heartless around him. Ryan yelled as he began firing blasts at the Heartless.

"REUBEN!" Ryan yelled.

"Alright, alright." Reuben said, sounding irritated. He curled into a ball and jumped up. Ryan caught the experiment in his hands before charging him with solar energy and hurling him at a group of Heartless, causing an explosion.

"Let's finish this!" Reuben exclaimed, uncurling and body-slamming a Power Wild. (2)

"GANTU!" Mandy yelled.

"Affirmative!" Gantu replied, pulling out his blaster and firing as mandy shot balls of light from her Keyblade. Mandy then jumped onto Gantu's shoulders and the two began charging their next blasts before sending out a wall of energy that consumed all of the oncoming Heartless.

"Bingo!" Mandy grinned, jumping off of the whale man's shoulders. (3)

"You DARE betray me, Gantu?!" Hamsterveil shouted.

"What you do comes back around to you!" Gantu shot back.

"Heard ya the first time..." came a rather feint voice.

"What was that?" Mandy asked.

Suddenly, a rock came out of nowhere.

"ENOUGH WITH THESE FLYING ROCKS!" Gantu shouted, "WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM?! I DEMAND TO-"

_And then a brick hit Gantu on the head._

Gantu yelled as a brick flew out of nowhere to hit him on the back of the head.

_Oh, I do love it when I'm nasty..._

In a burst of purple energy, an escape pod appeared and crashed into the floor. One of the doors swung open and out popped Crescent.

"Heya, guys!" the ninja exclaimed, "Ya KNEW that I couldn't keep outta here for long!"

"Pity and I was LIKING the quiet..." Donald muttered.

"See? I TOLD you plan would work!" Jumba exclaimed as he stepped out with Pleakley and Stitch.

"LILO!" Stitch exclaimed, running over to hug the girl.

"STITCH!" Lilo exclaimed, "I missed you!"

"Little girl." Jumba said, pleasantly, "So happy to be seeing you."

"IT'S GANTU!" Pleakley screamed.

"Don't worry, my supposedly-heterosexual friend, I've seen _Leroy & Stich_." Crescent said, slinging an arm over Pleakley's shoulders, "Gantu's a good guy now!"

"Aw, what a touching reunion." Hamsterveil said, "Unfortunately, it will not stop me from destroying the other experiments and turning them into Heartless!"

"You won't even start!" Lilo shouted, "Could someone trace that call?"

"Yes, I could and download it into the pod's coordinates." Jumba replied. Immediately, Hamsterveil's screen went blank.

"You guys need to remember how to keep your voices down." Mandy stated.

"Don't worry!" Crescent grinned, "Thanks to my awesome, fourth-wall breaking powers, I'll be able to find 'em! All we need is a small word in parentheses and an elipses and we'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail!"

"I'll get in the back-back." Gantu said, walking over to the pod.

"Don't we have a ship?" Ryan asked.

(Later...)

Hamsterveil was in a stadium, standing next to Leroy. In front of them was a cage filled with the remaining six hundred and twenty-four experiments, ranging from the supersized crab-like experiment Shortstuff (whose function was to disable electric devices) to the massive Richter (whose function was to create earthquakes).

"Now, I bet you are wondering why I brought you all here." Hamsterveil said to the captured creatures, "It is rather simple, actually. You are to be terminated by my friend, Leroy, and have your hearts turned into Heartless so that I may conquer the multiverse! Now, I know what your tiny brains must be thinking—there's only ONE of him and six hundred and twenty-four of us! Well, put that thought to rest, for you see..."

Hamsterveil pulled out a remote and pressed a large, red button. The doors around the stadium slid open and an army of Leroys walked out, all growling and looking ready for a fight. The thing that made the Leroy stand out from the rest was the fact that the others had the Heartless insignia on their chests.

"I found a method to clone Leroy using the Heartless!" Hamsterveil said. He pressed another button on the remote, causing the cage's door to slide open, removing any barrier between the experiments and the clones, "Have fun now! I shall stay and witness your doom-what is that infernal music?!"

Out of nowhere, what sounded like "Simple & Clean" was playing. In another burst of purple energy, an escape pod flew out of nowhere and crashed into the center of the soon-to-be battlefield. The hatch flew open and Ryan, Mandy, Donald, Goofy, Crescent, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, Pleakley, Reuben, and Gantu pulled themselves out with great difficulty.

"What a rip!" Crescent groaned, "I hoped it was like the TARDIS, where it's bigger on the inside!"

"SHUT UP!" Gantu barked, "I had enough difficulty dealing with your song about beer!"

"By the way, where did I leave off? Oh yeah!" Crescent exclaimed before singing, "One thousand, two hundred and fifty-six beers on the-"

"SHUT UP!" everyone shouted.

"Alright, Hamsterveil, we're here to stop you!" Lilo shouted.

"ATTACK!" Hamsterveil shouted. The Leroys yelled as they ran out to fight those gathered.

"Well, this is to-the-point." Crescent said, drawing his ninja swords, "Hey, they're called NINJATO, writer. You should know, 'cuz you wasted so much time eating spicy Cheetos and watching Deadliest Warrior!"

_Shut up, Crescent!_

"Fine." Crescent sighed.

"Who's this guy talking to?" Reuben asked.

"We're not sure." Donald replied before casting a Blizzaga spell at the oncoming Leroys, freezing one solid. Stitch ran over to his fellow experiments and shouted something. This seemed to rally the experiments, whose fear vanished immediately to be replaced by determination.

"DIE! DIE!" Crescent shouted as he began slashing through the Leroy clones, "DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!"

"STITCH!" Ryan yelled.

"IGGI NO BAGA!" Stitch exclaimed, rolling over and pulling out two blasters. Ryan and Stitch began blasting the Leroy clones before Ryan grabbed Stitch's blasters as his hands began glowing. Stitch then took the guns back before blasting them, causing a small group of Leroy clones to explode, "I'M FLUFFY!"

"GENIE!" Mandy called, holding up a Summon Charm.

"MANDY!" exclaimed Genie as he flew out of nowhere. He gave Mandy a high-five before firing magic at the oncoming Leroys. Some froze in place as time was halted around them, some collapsed under increased gravity, some were hit by small explosions, and some were whipped into the air by small tornadoes. Genie then spun around before summoning a mock Keyblade to begin attacking the Leroys with Mandy. The two then gave another high-five before Genie vanished.

Elsewhere, the experiments were giving their all. The four-armed Kix was delivering punishing blows to the clones, the electrically-charged Sparky was shocking any clone in his path, the infantile-looking Babyfier was reducing the clones to baby stages, and the fuzball named Clip completely shaved off several clones leaving them looking embarrassed. But their attempts to stop the clones were slowly slowing and the experiments were being beaten down. Crescent's healing factor was making itself apparent as the Leroys continued to get back up, their wounds healing over.

"This is going nowhere fast..." Ryan panted as he fired another blast at a Leroy, which only healed over before charging back at him.

"Jumba, PLEASE tell me you had a plan." Lilo said.

"I did. The song 'Aloha Oe'." Jumba replied, "I put a special program inside the original Leroy, which would cause it to shut down when that song begins playing. It should also work on the clones as well."

"Then let's get somewhere we can make ourselves audible..." Ryan said, running around, grabbing Lilo, Stitch, Mandy, Jumba, and Reuben as Gantu followed them.

"LIGHTS!" Ryan grinned, holding up his hands.

"Audio!" Lilo exclaimed, plugging in a stereo system.

"Let's do it then!" Reuben exclaimed.

Stitch stood up, wearing a polyester suit with an Elvis Presley wig and carrying a ukelele.

"Hail to the king!" Stitch exclaimed before playing his guitar. Everyone present began to sing.

_Aloha Oe!_

_Aloha Oe!_

_ikeona ona noho ikanipo One fond embrace ahoea ea Until we meet again Until we meet again Till we meet again_

Just as Jumba predicted, the Leroy clones began to jitter around as dark energy began to leak out from them. One of the clones exploded into dark energy, the others following suit until only one Leroy was left. It yelled before falling to the ground.

"THAT'S the power of Elvis!" Lilo smiled.

"Won't they get back up?" Mandy asked.

"Nah, my healin' factor can solve a LOTTA problems, but damage to the brain? Nope." Crescent replied.

"THIS IS FAR FROM OVER!" Hamsterveil yelled, snapping his fingers.

In an explosion of darkness, out skittered a Heartless that resembled a giant crab about the size of a Guard Armor with blasters for hands instead of pincers. The Buster Cannon let out a silent roar as it began to approach the group, it's blaster arms ready to fire.

"Just when you think our job's done..." Reuben murmured.

Ryan's response was a little more proactive. He ran at the Heartless before running around, delivering punches to the Buster Cannon. The Heartless' response was to shoot Ryan with a burst of plasma, sending the solar-powered superhuman into a nearby wall.

"LET'S GET 'IM!" Mandy yelled as she summoned her Keyblade and charged at the Heartless with six hundred and twenty-five experiments and Gantu behind her.

"Hey, wait up!" Goofy called, but a blast of energy struck the ground mere inches from where his foot was. Goofy's response was to recoil.

"Divide and conquer, an easy way to defeat beings like you." Came a low, rhaspy voice. A small cloud of dust was raised as something seemed to have landed right in front of them. With a shimmer, a hunched figure stood up. He removed his hood to show that he was bald, had sharpened teeth, and bright yellow eyes that seemed almost serpentine, "I am Lorux, Number Twelve of the Seekers, also called the 'Silent Assassin'."

"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you." Ryan said, "But we've gotta help Mandy!"

Ryan tried to get around Lorux, but the Seeker held the barrel of a sniper rifle out to block his path.

"Sorry, boy, I cannot allow that." Lorux hissed before hitting Ryan with the barrel and holding the rifle up, showing two long, rather menacing blades where the iron sights would be on a normal gun.

Lorux slashed out with it and Ryan barely dodged the slash. Lorux held the rifle at shoulder-level and the blades sank into the gun. He pulled the trigger and fired another shot of energy. Ryan quickly dodged and sent a blast of solar energy at the Seeker, who swiftly jumped aside.

"Ah, so YOU are the superhuman that Xoral seemed rather vocal about." Lorux said before turning invisible.

The group looked around, frantically, trying to find the Seeker. Lilo screamed as she was lifted into the air, right in the center of the small circle Ryan, Donald, Goofy, and Stitch had formed. Lorux turned visible with Lilo lifted in one hand and the blade of his scythe-rifle pointing at her throat.

"Give me the map piece and she will live. Otherwise..." Lorux said, giving Lilo a small prick on the neck, a trickle of blood coming out of it, "Just a little more pressure than that and you will have her death on your conscience..."

"We can't find the map piece with Heartless running around the world!" Ryan shouted, looking at his feet.

"Hmm...a weapon being made entirely of light getting interference from creatures of pure darkness..." Lorux muttered to himself.

Lorux kept Lilo in his hand as he hoisted his scythe-rifle up and pointed it at the Buster Cannon Heartless. He pulled the trigger and sent a blast directly into the creature's head. It bellowed in pain, but quickly wheeled around.

"Oh no, you just made him mad!" Pleakley screamed.

Mandy growled as she swung her Keyblade into the Buster Cannon's shell. Various experiments grabbed at the creature's legs, but weren't slowing it down as it approached the others.

"Why won't you just GO?!" Mandy shouted. Ryan barely made out the image of Mandy's eyes briefly shifting to yellow, but he was distracted by the fact that the Buster Cannon vanished in a flurry of darkness. Mandy fell to the ground with a dull 'thump' and looked around, confused to say the least, "Wow...didn't think that would actually work."

"WHAT?! THAT HEARTLESS DISOBEYED IT'S MASTER!" Hamsterveil shouted.

"You seem to have a problem with losing minions today, Hamsterveil." Jumba said, sounding oddly smug.

"I SHALL SIMPLY SUMMON MORE HEARTLESS TO DESTROY-"

BLAST!

Hamsterveil was shot right in the chest and sent to the ground, twitching feebly before slowing to a stop. Everyone stared, shocked that the villain they had been fighting was suddenly...killed.

"More Heartless would have delayed your discovery of the map piece." Lorux stated, blowing smoke out of his gun barrel.

"I'd say 'you didn't have to kill him', but judging from YOUR charming personality..." Crescent murmured, suddenly sounding very serious.

"Use your key." Lorux simply said to Mandy. She knew that the Nobody would kill Lilo before she even got close enough to hitting him.

"Fine." Mandy sighed, holding out Treasure Seeker. It began glowing with a bright, golden aura. A stream of light erupted from the tip and hit Stitch. The experiment looked confused before he saw that the beam was hitting him on the chest. The map piece was slowly pulled out of a necklace that Stitch was wearing around his neck.

"Lilo gave that to Stitch before he left!" Jumba shouted.

Mandy reached out and caught the map piece as it floated over to her hand. She sighed as she turned over to Lorux and held it out, "Take it. Just let the girl go."

Lorux smirked as he swiped the piece of parchment from Mandy's hand before letting Lilo go, "I'm an assassin, but I keep my word. Next time, you will not be as fortunate..."

Lorux then vanished in a whirl of darkness.

"WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!" Donald shouted, looking half-ready to beat Mandy over the head with his staff, "THE UNIVERSE IS AT STAKE!"

"I...I couldn't let him hurt Lilo..." Mandy sniffed. She then began to weep.

"There, there." Ryan said, suddenly feeling sympathy for this kleptomaniac Keyblader, "It's alright. I understand. Ya did what ya had to-"

Mandy's weeps then turned into snickers and then into laughter.

"What's so-"

Ryan was cut off as Mandy wheeled around, holding a piece of parchment in her hand similar to the one they had found in Agrabah.

"I swapped the real one for a grocery list!" Mandy said, laughing so hard that tears were in her eyes, "Man, that Seeker guy was dumb!"

"Mandy..." Ryan said before he broke out into a smile and hugged the girl. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do. Mandy quickly returned it.

"Uh..." Donald said with a nervous laugh, "Sorry about...you know..."

"Well, if we got that map piece, we'd better hit the road." Goofy said.

"Boy, THAT sounds painful..." Crescent murmured, "Oh, COME ON! That's the best crack you're giving me?! You're losing your touch, you kn-"

_And then Crescent got struck with lightning._

Crescent yelled as he was hit by an inexplicable lightning bolt.

"NOW he's getting creative..." Crescent wheezed before falling over.

"First bricks and now electrical discharge." Gantu murmured, "Has the universe gone insane?!"

"Yes. Next question." Crescent simply said.

The group's Gummi Ship quickly arrived and beamed them up before flying off into space.

**Buster Cannon Heartless**

A Heartless summoned by Hamsterveil. It's massive size means that it can take massive damage without even flinching. It can fire powerful blasts of plasma and has enough power to keep moving, even when over six hundred experiments are holding it back. Mandy was able to make it vanish quite easily...that may be cause for concern...

**Lorux**

The twelfth member of the Seekers, also known as the "Silent Assassin". He seems rather reptilian and has the ability to turn invisible. He wields a sniper rifle with a set of blades on the top. Not much is known as he didn't fight much.

I just realize that Ryan's a bit of a nerd...maybe he read comics and watched Star Trek to try and pick up hero tips.

(2) Reuben's _Slammer Ball_

(3) Gantu's _Authority Blaster_

(4) Stitch and Ryan's _Sun Boomer_


	65. Sylar

Chapter 63: Sylar

Seeker Headquarters...

Lorux roared as he tore a piece of parchment to shreds while walking into a circle of Seekers. One of their number seemed to be missing.

"Xoral rubbing his superior ranking in your face again?" Xail asked as she walked over.

"That keywielder gave me a substitute instead of the map piece!" the reptilian Nobody snarled.

"That is what happens to those who don't take precautions." Commented Bulex, who was sitting in a meditative pose.

"Y'know, we kinda suck at our jobs." Xoral said. Everyone glared at the solar-powered Nobody, who quickly began to defend himself, "Just saying—we're called the Seekers, but we don't really seek anything and we lose what we seek when we DO."

"May I kill him?" Xiklub asked.

"Still considering it..." Kurix replied. Xiklub gave a feral smile at that.

"And I'm shutting up now." Xoral whimpered.

"Good." Yaxm said.

"Goxryu, there's a map piece in the computer system of this world." Kurix said, holding up his Keyblade, which began to glow with a golden light, "Would you be up for infiltrating it?"

"I would be, my lord." Goxryu replied, "It would be a definite improvement to that low-tech world you sent me to."

"Yes, yes, we all know that you detested that world." Yaxm said, irritated, "Just shut up about it already."

"So, whadd're da rest o' us gonna do, boss?" asked Xedge, "We're just spinnin' our wheels here!"

"Go to Twilight Town and wait." Kurix said, "I have a feeling that the next map piece is there. And my Somebody might be there..."

"Also, has anyone realized that Kurix is the only one here with a Keyblade?" Xoral asked, "Why doesn't he just go to the worlds by himself instead of sending us to find them, knowing that we have no real way of getting them?"

"Maybe he's hoping that some of the more...expendable members will be terminated." Goxryu said before vanishing.

"Xedge, I think he's talking about you." Xoral said.

"Dude, you a moron." Xedge stated.

"Has anyone seem Ohryx anywhere?" Xijm asked.

"Good question." Xeydin said, "Never crossed my mind. Then again, he's barely noticeable in the first place."

Elsewhere...

In a dark room, Ohryx paced across two rather large, oval containers. Inside one was a man and inside the other was a girl, in her early teens at most.

"Well, the Prince of Heart hasn't come for you." the Time Bender said, touching the container of the girl, "Perhaps I need a new strategy..."

He opened the container with the man inside. Liquid began flowing out as the man took a huge breath of air. Before he had time to register what was going on, Ohryx snapped his fingers and time froze around him. Ohryx touched the man and the two vanished in a portal of darkness.

Radiant Garden...

"Well, at least THIS world is somewhat familiar to me." Riley murmured as he, Joey, and Maya entered the square of Radiant Garden.

"Hey, mates!" cam a voice with a familiar accent. The three travellers looked over to see Scott, J, and April running towards them.

"Hey, guys! It's been too long!" Joey grinned, holding out his hand, which Scott immediately shook.

"So am I the ONLY one who thinks it's weird that an Australian's named 'Scott'?" Riley asked.

"The keys brought you to this world, I take it?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, they did." April said, "And through the last worlds, we've been pirates and animals. Scott was made a pirate lord and it went right to his head."

"Which explains the hat." Joey said, pointing at Scott's tricorn hat.

"My old hat got lost at sea, remember?" Scott asked April.

"Don't tell me you weren't enjoying every second of that." April stated.

Maya summoned Treasure Seeker and held it up.

"I thought YOU had the Treasure Seeker." Scott said to Joey.

"Well, due to...extreme circumstances, Maya and I swapped out." Joey said, looking somewhat embarrassed. His near-releasing of the White Witch still hit a sore spot for him.

Maya's Keyblade began pointing at the main castle as the remaining key on J's chain pointed in the opposite direction.

"Well, see ya later." Joey said as they ran in opposite directions.

Joey and his group quickly arrived in the castle at the center of town. They ran through the interior and quickly arrived at the computer room, where they saw the entirety of both teams gathered around it.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Blader growled as he began pressing buttons.

"Lemme give it a shot." Cid said before punching the screen and pushing a few more buttons. He growled in frustration.

"Hey, I thought you guys were separate teams." Joey said.

"Welcome back." Leon said, looking over with Vincent right next to him, "And we DO team up if the situation calls for it. It does."

"What's going on?" Riley asked, walking over to the computer as Blader stood up and sat down at a smaller computer.

"We don't know." Vincent replied, "We can't contact Tron in the Space Paranoids and we can't access the mainframe."

"Isn't it obvious?" asked a laid-back and suave voice. At that point, a man with neatly-combed back, brown hair, a mustache, a small beard, a tuxedo, and sunglasses walked in as some song by AC/DC began playing in the background, "Tron's been shoved outta being the MCP...again and you guys have just been locked out. Also, Blader's playing Fix-It Felix, Jr. Thought we wouldn't notice. We did."

"Tony Stark." Leon said with an irritated edge to his voice. Obviously, this was someone that he made no secret about seriously disliking.

"Mr. Leon." Tony replied, coolly, "I think it might have something to do with those Seeker guys who're causing so much trouble. Anyone know any of those Nobodies who're obsessed with tech?"

"I fought that one guy in Narnia." Joey said.

"Wait, how'd you know about a mechanical Nobody?" Riley asked.

"Well, THIS." Tony said, opening a door as a mechanical exoskeleton fell out in a heap. Joey knew who it belonged to in a heartbeat.

"GOXRYU!" he shouted.

"How'd you know that was there?" Petross asked Tony.

"The better question is 'how'd you NOT know that was there?'." Tony corrected, "I think I might be able to give you a better security system if you-"

"What and just have you fleece us again?" Yuffie asked, irritably, "No thanks."

"We're short-handed at the moment." Vincent stated, "Cecil hasn't reported back and Crescent's gone missing."

"And who here's sad about the psycho ninja vanishing? No one." Blader murmured. Joey looked over Blader's shoulder and saw that Blader was, indeed, playing some sort of arcade game.

"So, some of you guys have gotta go in, bust out this Nobody, and then everything's back to normal." Tony said.

"I'm going in." Maya said.

"Me, too." Joey said.

"Might as well." Riley sighed, "Something would come along to make me join in anyway..."

"I'll go in as well." Petross said, standing up.

"Alright, so two Keywielders, a wussy computer expert, and the super-strong medic." Tony said, "My work here is done."

"Don't let the door hit ya on your way out!" Blader called as Tony walked out the door.

"Blader, do we have the ability to use that laser to send us into Space Paranoids?" Petross asked.

"Eh...maybe, it's hard to tell with limited access." Blader replied as Joey, Riley, Maya, and Petross stepped in front of the device that would send out the digitizing laser.

"Here goes somethin'..." Cid murmured, slamming a button. The device began to glow and it fired out a beam that hit all four. They pixelated before vanishing into the computer.

Meanwhile...

"Well, wasn't that nice?" Scott asked.

"Whatever." J simply grunted.

"You're in a mood..." April said to J.

"It's our last key, we find the map piece, get to wherever Sora says we should meet, destroy that treasure and get back to the island." J stated, "Pardon me for being a bit impatient for this little adventure to be over."

"That hardly sounds like the attitude expected of the Prince of Heart." Came a low, familiar voice.

The three superhumans wheeled around to see Ohryx resting on a rooftop just ten feet away.

"You again." J growled.

"Indeed." Ohryx said, "I have been wanting to get you to come after me for so long, but you have resisted. So, I figured..." Ohryx snapped his fingers and the man he had in the container appeared, frozen in time, "Why not give you a little incentive?"

"HIM!" J shouted, scarlet eyes wide and something that wasn't usually present in them was now filling them—fear.

"Yes, I acquired him when this place was still Hollow Bastion." Ohryx said, smirking, "I figured he would be helpful in achieving my ends. Have fun."

Ohryx snapped his fingers as he teleported away. The man began to move.

"The moment I find that freak-" he snarled, looking around before spotting the three, "Oh. It's you three again. I thought you escaped me after all that time. Seems as if I was wrong."

"Sylar..." was all J could say, paralyzed by fear. This man had been hunting him for years. He was one of the most infamous hunters of superhumans, even out-doing the Android. J had seen fellow travellers killed by him, particularly a man with deadly eyes named Thomas. Part of him had hoped that he had died when Radiant Garden became Hollow Bastion...

"You remember my name, that's nice." Sylar said, jumping off the roof to approach them, "I've been waiting for so long to take those powers of yours."

"This thing..." J said, slowly removing his glove to show a small, metallic object placed in his wrist, "You've been using the Company's technology."

"It disbanded, so it was easy to help myself to that useful tracking technology." Sylar said. When he was about ten feet from J, Scott and April stood in front of him.

"Sorry, mate, but ya gotta get past us if you wanna get to our friend." Scott stated, bony spikes springing from his wrists.

Sylar rolled his eyes before holding out his index fingers and sharply drawing them apart. Scott and April were tossed away as if they had been swatted away by invisible hands.

"I just did. Now then..." Sylar said, returning his gaze to the shapeshifter. J shifted into a mouse and ran between Sylar's legs, "Oldest trick in the book."

Sylar held out a finger and began firing blasts of electricity at the mouse, which barely managed to evade them until it was finally hit by one and changed back to J. Sylar began walking over to the shapeshifter, who swung a foot around to trip the predator. He then began running again before he was caught by Sylar's telekinesis.

"Well, it's been a fun chase." Sylar said, holding up an index finger as he drew J closer to himself, "But now, the hunt's over..."

"HEY!" came a voice. Scott came out of nowhere to drive his shoulder into Sylar, breaking his focus. Scott caused bony spikes to erupt from his knuckles before thrusting out a punch. Sylar caught the fist before sending a blast of radiation into Scott, causing the Aussie to scream in pain before being hurled back.

"SCOTT!" April yelled, rushing over to her boyfriend. She then glared at Sylar, her hair starting to get picked up by wind, "YOU...WILL...GO!"

She thrust out her hands on instinct and a burst of wind flew out of them and hit Sylar full in the chest. She then literally flew at Sylar before delivering a series of punches to his face. She then kicked him into the air and held up a fist. Air began to spiral around her fist as Sylar landed on top of it. He yelled as he was hit, full-on by the strike. She then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hurled him into the concrete. He staggered up, face bloodied and gingerly touched his leg.

"Now I know not to make YOU angry." He said with a laugh. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"She's not the only one." Commented a calm, yet harsh-sounding voice.

Sylar turned to see a man with short, brown hair, electric blue eyes, a red scarf that covered most of his lower face, a green jacket, and jeans. In his hand was, oddly enough, a Nintendo 3DS.

"Hello, Mr. Gray." He greeted in a surprisingly cheery way.

"My name is Sylar, you hasbeen!" Sylar growled.

"If I'm a hasbeen, how come I manage to stay on top of Nintendo's game systems?" the man asked.

"Is that your power?" Sylar asked, "Being obnoxious?"

"No, it's even better." The man replied. Sylar thrust out to send a blast of electricity at the man, who held up his hand to send a blast of electricity in the opposite direction, drawing the blast away, "Sent a burst the opposite charge of yours. Opposites attract...oh and I can do what you can. This also includes any superhumans in the immediate area."

He reached to his shoulder just as a bony spike emerged from it. He pulled it out with a small wince and held it up like a sword. He then jumped into the air and began slashing at the predator. He then shifted into an elephant before ramming into Sylar before shifting back and sending a blast of wind to send Sylar into the mouth of the Great Chasm.

"There. Was that so hard?" the man asked, dusting his hands before holding up the 3DS, "Now, back to _Kid Icarus Uprising_...wish I remembered to bring my stand-up..."

"Mark Damon?" April asked, looking at the man.

"April Goodeve." The man, Mark, simply replied, "It's been a while."

Mark then walked over to Scott's unconscious form and began examining him. The Australian had developed a more gray texture and he seemed to be thrashing.

"Figures radiation would do that." Mark said, "Thankfully, I think an Elixir should fix this...and I conveniently carry some around."

Mark pulled an elixir out before dropping it on Scott. With a swirl of green, Scott's eyes opened up as his skin returned to its usual shade.

"Mark?" Scott asked.

"Indeed." Mark smiled.

"Where'd you disappear to after all this time?" April asked, "We figured you were dead."

"Interesting how that seems to work." Mark said, "You think someone's dead, but it turns out that they're still alive. As for where I was...well, I saw that the DS had just come out and figured that I'd camp out and get one. It's not my fault you guys are so impatient."

April growled in frustration. Marck had always been on the annoying side.

"Mark." J said as he stood up and walked over, "If Sylar's back...I need to be able to use my powers more effectively. Could you train me?"

Mark looked at J before replying, "I don't see why not."

"Oh and Scott..." April said.

"What is it, Sheilah?" Scott asked, getting up.

April held out her hand and a small whirl of air appeared around it, "I think I just got an upgrade..."

**Tony Stark**

The owner of the weapon-manufacturing company, Stark Industries. His company is in a coalition with the Restoration Committee, but his attitude tends to make Leon regret that choice. Despite his attitude, he's one of the most brilliant minds in Radiant Garden. He first appeared in _Iron Man_.

**Sylar**

Another superhuman who lives to hunt and kill others. Unlike the Android, he does this for personal gain—whenever he kills a superhuman, he gains their powers. He's had his eyes set on J for a while now, but lost track of him when Radiant Garden became Hollow Bastion. He was apparently captured by Ohryx, but now has been unleashed. He first appeared in _Heroes_.

**Mark Damon**

A superhuman who seems to be an old friend of Scott, J, Ryan, and April's. His power is the ability to mimic the abilities of any superhuman within about fifty feet. He taught the four how to defend themselves by teaching them to use their powers effectively. Despite being older than the others, he's a hardcore gamer and always has the latest handheld on him.

_I thought I should give April power over wind because...well, flying doesn't seem to be that effective in a fight._


	66. Approaching the Mainframe

Chapter 64: Approaching the Mainframe

Space Paranoids...

Joey, Maya, Riley, and Petross appeared in the computer-based world. Joey looked over their new appearances—their skin was gray (though Petross' was a darker shade), they were wearing grayish-blue armor and had blue circuitry running across their bodies, coming from a small, foot-wide disk on their backs.

"This is bizarre." Riley commented.

"I've seen weirder." Joey replied.

"Alright then, our job is to find what the source of this chaos is, terminate it, and reinstate Tron as the MCP." Petross said.

"And take out anything in our way." Joey grinned.

"It's official, when this is done, I want a desk job." Riley stated.

"Alright, let's see where the next map piece is..." Maya said, summoning Treasure Seeker. It began to glow as she held it in front of a large tower a few miles away.

"Guess it's that way." Riley said.

"Let's move out then!" Joey grinned as he ran towards the tower.

_A series of blasts fly across. A light cycle drives by as the words 'Space Paranoids' appear before vanishing in a shower of pixels._

The four had been running for about five minutes when a group of Nobodies suddenly appeared. They seemed oddly mechanical, had blaster for right hands, and wind-up keys sticking out of their backs.

"Who'd have thought these things could be digitized?" Riley asked as he backed off, Joey, Maya, and Petross stepping forward.

"Doesn't matter." Maya said, swinging Treasure Seeker to behead a Robot.

Upon being attacked, the other Robot Nobodies began to fire with their blasters. Petross yelled as he ran at them like a pick-up truck, evading blasters. He pulled a fist back and delivered a powerful punch to a Robot. The resulting force of Petross' infamously powerful punch sent the Robots into each other and landing in a heap before vanishing.

Joey held out the Matrix Charm he had gotten earlier before holding it up, "NEO!"

"Joey." Said a voice. In a burst of green light, a man with a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and neat-looking dark hair walked out, "There are no rules."

Neo held out his hands, causing the ground to spring up and send the Nobodies flying into the air. Joey sprung into the air to slash at the Robots. Neo sprung into the air after him, delivering a series of punches and kicks to them. The two then landed on the ground as Robots opened-fire on them. Neo held out his hand and halted the blasts in midair. Joey sprung into the air and slammed his Keyblade into the ground as Neo thrust out his hands. An explosion of green light burns from the point Joey had struck and the Nobodies disintegrated as a result. (1)

"Ciao." Neo said, adjusting his sunglasses as he vanished.

"Quite impressive." Came a voice. A light cycle sped towards them before coming to a halt. The person inside of it was a tall man, "And thanks for clearing the path into the mainframe."

"No problem, Tron." Riley said, walking over to the security program.

"We saw that a Seeker got in and locked the Restoration Committee out." Joey said, "How could he do that?"

"I don't know yet." Tron replied, "But maybe the intruder will tell us when we find him."

The group then turned to walk to the door of the mainframe.

"The doors are sealed shut." Tron said.

"Let me deal with 'em." Petross said before pulling out two odd-looking weapons. They appeared to be gauntlets, but they had metallic rhino-shaped heads where the hands were supposed to be, "Something I came up with. I call them the Therian Cestus."

Petross slipped the Therian Cestus onto his hands before pulling a fist back and slamming it into the door. There was a loud CLANG as a sizeable dent appeared in the door. Petross delivered another punch, this one easily crashing through the door.

"Knock...knock..." Petross panted before he walked in with the others in hot pursuit.

**Robots**

The Nobodies controlled by Goxryu. They're main method of attacking is firing their blasters. They tend to attack in swarms, so be careful when dealing with them.

**Neo**

A hacker/freedom fighter from a distant future when humankind is being farmed by robots as a fuel source. It turns out he is The One, who can manipulate computer programs to how he sees fit and is destined to save humanity. When Joey calls, he arrives to alter the landscape, use his amazing martial arts abilities, and use his powers as The One to assist him. He first appeared in _The Matrix_.

**Tron**

Originally a security program whose user was Ansem the Wise, he was one of the files left over when Encom's program was bought by Ansem and renamed Hollow Bastion O.S. With Sora's help, he defeated the original MCP and became the new one, making the system a free one that anyone could access. However, he's been taken out as the MCP by Goxryu, who locked out the system. But he's going to take it back. He first appeared in _TRON_.


	67. Goxryu's House

Chapter 65: Goxryu's House

The five entered the mainframe with some Robots following after them, opening-fire with their blasters.

"BLAST!" Joey yelled, pointing his Keyblade at the Nobodies. The Blast spell sped out and exploded on contact with the white machines.

Despite the damage to their ranks, the Nobodies continued marching forwards. Riley jumped as they reached an entryway before he put his hand onto a pad. His circuitry began to glow as the Nobodies arrived.

"PROTEGA!" Maya yelled, causing a barrier to appear between them.

Suddenly, a set of rather large looking blasters came out of the ceiling. They pointed their guns at the Nobodies before opening-fire on them. Riley's face contorted again as the blasters returned to their hiding place and the door slammed shut in front of the oncoming Nobodies.

"Wow...finally able to do something..." Riley panted as he slumped down on his back.

"I thought only security programs like me could do that." Tron said.

"Computer nerd, buddy." Riley replied, "I know the system inside-out. Played this a lot when it was in the arcade...kinda second nature to me at this point."

"Riley, guess we kinda underestimated you." Joey said, smiling a bit.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it by now." Riley said, standing up, "Now where do we go?"

"The MCP's chamber is in the center of the mainframe." Tron said, pulling out a digital map, "We're currently in the eastern part of the building."

"If it's like what we've just been through, it's going to be a rough trip." Petross grunted.

"What's the Treasure Seeker say about this?" Joey asked.

"I don't know." Maya said, summoning Treasure Seeker, which began flashing irregularly, "Maybe it's not used to tracking in a world like this."

"Seems more like we're making this up as we go along." Riley stated. The doors began to dent a little, but Riley touched the panel again as his circuits began glowing. They heard a series of blasts from the other end of the door and Riley said, "Well, THAT problem's solved. Let's get moving."

The five then began to walk through the corridors to the main control room.

Meanwhile...

Inside the chamber of the MCP was a green pillar of light that was spinning around, rapidly.

"Let us begin this game..." said the voice of Goxryu.

Maya and co. ...

The five were walking down a corridor when the very appearance of the room began to distort, as if the very appearance of the room had been smudged. As quickly as it had happened, it had finished, but the five still remained wary.

"Never a good siIIIIIII!" Riley yelled as he suddenly fell down, grabbing the edge of one of the metal tiles. Chunks of the floor had suddenly fallen away.

"I've got you!" Maya said as she rushed over to grab Riley's hand before dragging him up.

"I need a vacation..." the computer expert growled before walking over to a panel and touching it, "Guys, Goxryu's screwing around with the system."

"We figured that out already." Joey stated.

"Will this Seeker's tampering with the mainframe's structure damage the system in any way?" Petross asked Tron.

"It will." Tron replied, "If he alters the mainframe, he could cause the system to crash."

"And that's bad I take it?" Riley asked.

"That map piece will be gone for ever and we will all be de-rezzed if that happens." Tron said.

"Okay, let's pick up the pace then!" Joey said, marching away rather quickly.

"That sounds like the best approach." Tron said, following after the male keywielder. At that point, the entire room seemed to smudge again.

With a loud, crunching sound, a large pillar sprung from the floor and went right up to the ceiling, cutting Joey and Tron off from the rest of the group.

"HEY!" Riley shouted.

Joey and Tron began feeling across the wall, trying to find a way to the other wise or a means to create one. Their search was in vain, however. The wall was solid.

"Oh come on!" Joey shouted.

"It appears as if we are on our own for now." Tron said.

"Alright then." Joey said, walking off with the security program.

Petross yelled as he struck at the wall with the Therian Cestus. The only thing that resulted from that was a loud THUNK and some extremely small cracks. Riley rushed over to the panel and put his hand on it.

"Crud! I can't fix this problem!" Riley growled, "Goxryu's blocked me from fixing it at all!"

"Would it be possible to create an alternate route to the MCP control room?" Petross asked.

"Maybe, but I thought that messing with the mainframe was BAD." Riley said.

"Either we take that risk or else we'll definitely die." Petross stated. He wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine. On all of our heads, be it." Riley murmured as his circuitry glowed with a bright light. A doorway appeared right in front of them as Riley nearly fell to the ground, but was caught by Maya. Riley looked up with much difficulty and simply said, "You're welcome..."

With Joey and Tron, the two froze for a few seconds before they continued moving. Joey looked back with a confused expression.

"What was that?" Joey asked.

"It was a lag." Tron replied, "It's what happens when the system is starting to become damaged."

"And we can't get there fast-" Joey froze as the entire room smudged for a second. It returned to normal as one of the walls sprung spikes and began to speed forward, "Enough..."

Joey and Tron began running away from the wall as fast as they could. Just when it seemed they could get out of the way, there was another lag. Suddenly, the spikes were only a few inches behind them. They ducked behind a wall as the spikes flew right past them, narrowly grazing Joey's shoulder.

"I HATE lags..." Joey growled.

"When Goxryu interferes with the system, they will happen more frequently." Tron said, finding another panel and putting his hand on it, "We're not far from the MCP control room."

"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Joey asked.

"I was the MCP until recently." Tron replied, "Of course I know how the system will react to constant interference."

"Touche." Joey simply said as he and Tron walked into the main room.

They stared up at the quickly spinning, green pillar. It slowly came to a halt and bright eyes looked down at them.

"Hey, Goxryu, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Joey asked with a grin.

"I found you were the Keybearer unfortunate enough to enter here." Goxryu stated, "You see, back in that low-tech world, you humiliated me. As such, I cannot allow you to live."

"You see, I have a problem with that idea." Joey said, "By the way, just so I have that nagging little question out of my head, how did you get in here in the first place and how did you remove Tron from his position?"

"I have an ability you did not take notice of when we were in Narnia." Goxryu replied, "I can project my mind into a machine and take full control of it."

"That explains your body in the castle." Joey said.

"Goxryu, your tampering with the mainframe is damaging the system." Tron said, trying to reason with the Nobody, "If you continue it further, the system will crash and we will all die here!"

"Unfortunately for you, I have copies of my mind stored as back-ups." Goxryu replied, "If this one dies, another one shall simply take its place."

"But you still lose the map piece!" Joey shouted.

"I have heard enough of your foolish talk, Keywielder." Goxryu stated before spinning around again. A burst of green light hit Tron right in the chest.

"TRON!" Joey yelled.

Tron's circuitry shifted from blue to green as Goxryu came to a halt.

"I control EVERY program in this system." Goxry stated, "Considering that you and your friends are not part of it, I believe I will simply send the most powerful program to...delete you. Tron, terminate him!"

"Joey...I can't control my body..." Tron said as his arms reached to his back and pulled off his Identity Disk, "Joey...de-rez me!"

"I can't do that, Tron! You're the MC-" Joey's objection was cut off as Tron hurled the disk at him, the futuristic Keywielder barely blocking with his Chain Thrasher.

"You would rather that I be a puppet to this Nobody's will?!" Tron shouted, catching the disk and tossing it back at Joey, who blocked it again, "DESTROY ME!"

Joey looked at Tron before furrowing his brow. He had no other option at this point. He pointed his Keyblade at Tron and charged with a feral yell.

CRASH!

The wall caved in as Maya, Riley, and Petross ran through the hole they created.

"That entryway didn't go nearly-" Riley froze as there was another lag, "As far as I wanted-what the heck just happened?"

"Lag." Joey said, massaging his jaw. He had been just about to dodge as the lag took effect. When it resumed, he had gotten hit by Tron's disk, "Tron's being controlled by Goxryu!"

"I'll keep 'im busy." Petross said.

"Alright, Joey, Riley, and I will try and get rid of Goxryu." Maya said.

"I'm actually useful here." Riley said, looking amazed, "Just lemme...have a moment."

"Moment's up, let's just get to it." Maya said, suddenly sounding very impatient as the three ran towards the computer just in front of the MCP.

"Sorry to do this, Tron." Petross said, hurling a punch at Tron, knocking him clear to the other side of the room and smashing him right through the wall.

"Petross' right hook never ceases to impress." Riley said before touching the computer. He growled as he tensed up.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked.

"Goxryu's kinda locked this place up tighter than Blader's comic collection...which I've seen, by the way." Riley growled.

Petross was delivering punishing blows on Tron, who was trying to fight back but unable to get a single strike in due to the ferocity of the medic's attacks.

"Are you not your cell's medical officer?" Tron asked.

"Yeah, I am." Petross replied, "I just find plenty of time to work out."

Goxryu roared in anger as a lag occurred. Petross froze in place and Tron held out his hand, sending a burst of blue light to hit the muscular medic in the chest, sending him tumbling. Tron now had the upper-hand and could go on the attack.

"Riley, we're kinda on a timer right about now..." Joey said.

"I'm hacking as best as I can!" Riley growled.

Maya looked between Riley and Tron. She summoned her Keyblade and charged at the security program, jumping into the air and swinging her Keyblade to deflect the Identiy Disk going at Petross. The medic got to his feet and grolwed as he and Maya prepared to continue the fight.

"REEPICHEEP!" Maya called, holding up the Noble Charm.

"Lady Maya!" came a voice. Out of a castle, the small mouse Maya remembered from their trip to Narnia. Reepicheep hopped onto Maya's shoulder, drew his tiny rapier, and said, "My sword is at your service!"

Maya ran at Tron, Reepicheep beginning to wildly slash his sword as Maya began attacking with her Keyblade. Reepicheep then sprung into the air and landed on the ground, driving his sword into it and causing a shockwave that knocked Tron off his feet. (1)

"Farewell!" Reepicheep said, vanishing in a flash of bright light.

"Alright, almost got his shields down..." Riley growled, "And...GONE!"

Goxryu roared as he caused the computer to glow bright green. His face appeared on it and it sprung out to attack Riley. The computer expert yelled as he began fighting to try and get free.

"Guess it's up to me now." Joey said, jumping at Goxryu with the Chain Thrasher out. He swung the Keyblade out to hit Goxryu right where the pillar met the ground, "THUNDER!"

A burst of electricity erupted from the tip of Joey's Keyblade, causing Goxryu to roar in rage and pain. The mainframe began to shift again, the floor falling out just beneath Joey's feet, but the Keywielder held on by the handle and wound up dangling over a bottomless abyss.

"THUNDER!" Joey yelled again, causing the rogue MCP to roar again. Joey pulled himself back up by retracting the chain. He wound up standing just a foot in front of Goxryu.

"YOU INSOLENT WORM!" Goxryu roared.

"Tron, throw your Disk at me again!" Maya shouted.

She didn't need to tell him that as he was already preparing another attack. He threw his Identity Disk at Maya, who swung her Keyblade around, caught onto it, and hurled it directly at the base of the pillar that was Goxryu. The Nobody froze in mid-rotation and Joey yelled as he swung his Keyblade down on the center of the pillar. Goxryu let out an ear-shattering scream as he began to flicker until he vanished.

The computer attacking Riley suddenly stopped and fell off. Tron yelled as his circuits changed back to brightest blue.

Outside of Space Paranoids...

The empty eyes of Goxryu' body suddenly glowed bright green. A copy of his mind had been uploaded back into his main circuitry as the one occupying the role of MCP in Space Paranoids had been destroyed.

"I WILL KILL THAT KEYWIELDER!" he roared, startling a nearby Blader.

"Guys, he's awake!" Blader said into a comm-link. Goxryu simply vanished into a Corridor of Darkness, "Uh...scrap that. He's gone. And I was just about to get high-score on Fix-It Felix..."

Space Paranoids...

Tron groaned as he stood up, massaging his head.

"Are you okay?" Maya asked.

"I believe I am." Tron said, looking over his body and flexing his fingers, "You have my thanks."

"Oh, it was nothing." Riley said.

Maya's Keyblade then began to glow. A burst of light erupted from the tip and hit Tron's Identity Disk, which lay just before the gaping chasm where Goxryu had once been. The disk shone with a golden light before a battered piece of parchment flew out. Maya caught it in her hand.

"By the way, what's something like this doing in a computer?" Joey asked, "Wasn't this ancient treasure supposed to be...y'know, ANCIENT?"

"The piece of map was originally found by my former-user, Ansem the Wise." Tron answered, "However, he felt that it could easily fall into the wrong hands in Radiant Garden, so he had it digitized into this world to keep it from falling into the wrong hands."

"So, will we have difficulty leaving?" Petross asked.

Tron walked over to his Identity Disk, picked it up, placed it back onto his back and jumped into the chasm. The room was soon bathed in a golden light before Tron was levitated back up, his circuitry glowing the purest of white.

"I have repaired the system." Tron said, "It should be alright for you to exit the system now."

"Thanks, Tron." Maya said, holding up the map piece and fixing it to the ones they had gotten from Narnia and Manhattan. The rips around the edges shone with a bright light as they fixed together, forming a single strip of paper.

"Alright, that's cool." Riley said.

Tron held out his hand and shot a laser of light at the four. They pixelated immediately and were sent back to Radiant Garden.

Outside...

Maya, Joey, Riley, and Petross appeared in the computer room of the Restoration Committee's HQ.

"Welcome back." Leon said, walking over, "And I can tell you succeeded, considering we can now access the Space Paranoids again."

"Now, it's time I took what's left of my team and left." Vincent stated, walking over, "Blader, Petross. We're heading back."

"Vincent, when I get back, I'll be asking for a desk job!" Riley called. The gunslinger gave no response to that.

"This strip seems to lead to Twilight Town." Maya said, looking over the rather large piece of map, "I think we should go there."

"Then I guess we'll have to go there then." Joey said as Maya called down their Gummi Ship.

(1) Reepicheep's Honor Slash


	68. Tigger, Too

Chapter 66: Tigger, Too

Scott and April had left J with Mark to train while the two searched for the remaining map piece.

"Think about it, sheilah." Scott grinned, "We're just about done with this quest."

"Honestly, I'm not complaining about it." April said, "Feels like we've been at it for years."

"Yep, it sure does." Scott nodded. He held up the key ring as the final key, which resembled a honey put with bees flying around it pointed at a small house.

"Isn't that where the wizard guy lives?" April asked.

"I think so." Scott answered, knocking on the door, "Hello? Ya here, sir?"

POOF!

The two turned around as a puff of blue smoke erupted from just behind them. When it cleared away, standing just in front of them was Merlin.

"Oh greetings, Mister Highflier and Miss Goodeve." the Wizard said, walking to the door and opening it, "I had been expecting you since Sora and his friends left Camelot. I believe the next map piece you are looking for is somewhere in here..."

Merlin passed through the door. Scott and April exchanged confused looks before following him into the house. Inside were various odds and ends, all seeming from different time periods. Merlin put away a red tome with a lightning bolt onto a shelf.

"Sora and his friends have already collected the map piece of this world." Merlin said, leaving the two confused, "So, if your quest has led you here, I believe it is THIS."

Merlin set down another book, this one with the title 'Winnie the Pooh'.

"So, there's a world in this?" Scott asked, looking over Merlin's shoulder.

"Indeed, there is." Merlin said.

"Do make a hobby out of finding objects with worlds in them?" April asked, pointing to the book then to the tome and then to the box that she knew contained the world Toy Zone.

"No, they just happen to fall into my possession." Merlin replied.

"Well, let's get into this thing then." Scott said, opening the book and releasing a bright green aura.

"This isn't normal..." April murmured.

"Is anything EVER normal around us, Miss I-Just-Found-I-Can-Make-A-Hurricane?" Scott asked.

April looked ready to respond before simply saying, "Touche."

The two were bathed in a bright light and vanished.

Hundred Acre Wood...

The two had shrunk down to a miniscule size and landed on what looked like a map of the world all splashed onto one page.

"So, where does THIS place on your 'weirdest things'?" Scott asked.

"Somewhere on the top five, but I'm not sure exactly where." April replied.

_A swarm of bees flew by as a tree sprung up. Honey oozed down and formed the words 'Hundred Acre Wood' before it vanished._

"Alright, we're tiny and stuck on this page." April said, "Now what?"

"Guess we've just gotta find a location and head there." Scott said, holding up the keychain. The final key lifted up and pointed to a large meadow, "Guess we gotta go there."

The two walked over to the picture of a meadow. They yelled as they were quickly absorbed into the page. Scott yelled as he hit the grass with a dull THUD. Meanwhile, April hovered over him.

"Alright, NOW you're just showin' off." Scott said with a smile as he stood up and dusted off his clothing. He held up the key and saw it pointing at a tiger who was bouncing around...before lunging at Scott, knocking him to the ground.

"Hiya, I'm Tigger! T-I-double Guh-ER! That spells TIGGER!" the tiger greeted, cheerily, "And...uh...who're you?"

"Scott." Scott replied, voice strained from the animal currently sitting on his chest.

"And I'm April." April said, floating to the ground, Tigger not noticing her.

"Nice to meetcha, Scott!" Tigger said, "You wouldn't happen to be a tigger, would ya?"

"Uh...sorry, but no." Scott replied.

"Aw, shucks..." Tiger said, his cheery demeanor suddenly vanishing as he now looked disappointed. He stepped off Scott's chest and began to walk away.

"What's wrong, Tigger?" Scott asked.

"Well, the wonderfulest thing aout tiggers is that I'm the only one." Tigger answered, "But it's also...lonely bein' the only one. I was tryin' to find my family."

Scott thought for a bit before asking, "How about we help ya find it then?"

Tigger's response was to jump into the air, whoop, and begin bouncing all over the place.

"Let's go!" Tigger exclaimed, ouncing off into a nearby forest.

"I think he likes that idea." April said.

—

The two followed Tigger into a forest, where he was bouncing across trees trying to find something. Scott and April were looking through bushed before the flier suddenly stopped.

"Scott, why're we doing this?" she asked, "We should be looking for that map! It's not in pieces and there aren't any Heartless!"

"This key's not bein' much help here." Scott said, holding up the key, which maintained a rather dim glow to it, "Might as well stick around until it decides to help out."

April gave a groan of frustration before resuming the search.

"Excuse me," came a slow, but rather soft voice. April looked over and saw a small, yellow bear wearing a red shirt walk over, "But would you know where a honey pot is? It was to be my lunch, but I lost it."

April sighed before asking, "Do you remember where it was last?"

"Why, yes." the bear said, "My friends and I were planning a surprise party for my dear friend, Tigger."

April looked over her shoulder and found, to her relief, that Tigger and Scott were still searching.

"I'm April." She said to the bear.

"I am Winnie the Pooh." The bear replied, "But you can just call me 'Pooh' for short."

April and Pooh then walked back into the meadow that she and Scott had just left.

"I was sitting here, thinking." Pooh said, climbing onto the large, hollow log laying in the center.

"About what?" April asked.

"About what to think of next." Pooh replied.

An expression spread across April's face that read "SERIOUSLY?". She shook her head before asking, "Then what?"

"Then..." Pooh said, hopping off the log, "I went over to Rabbit's."

Pooh walked away and April walked after him. The two eventually wound up in a small patch with a small hill on it. Outside was a yellow, anthropomorphic rabbit pulling out some carrots.

"Hello, Rabbit!" Pooh exclaimed.

"POOH BEAR!" Rabbit yelled, recoiling, "Uh...you haven't come for lunch, have you?"

"Well, I do have a bit of a rumbly in my tumbly..." Pooh said, "But I was wondering what I could do to cheer up Tigger..."

"Tigger's still looking for his family, I assume?" Rabbit asked.

"He is, trust me." April said, "I'm April, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Rabbit said, "But there's a large snowstorm coming soon, so I need to get my vegetables stored away. So, I' rather busy..."

"Oh bother." Pooh said, toddling away, "Perhaps Kanga and Roo could help..."

"Y'know what? I think how we could find them easier." April said, grabbing Pooh before flying into the air.

"Oh dear..." Rabbit simply said.

—

Scott and Tigger continued looking through the forest. The two had absolutely no luck in finding others like Tigger.

"So, why're ya lookin' for your family?" Scott asked.

"'Cuz it's lonely bein' the only Tigger." Tigger replied, "It's not so fun being the only one."

"Yeah, not easy not havin' someone related to ya." Scott nodded, "I didn't grow up with my parents. I had 'em, but when I was ten, me mom died and then, a few months later, me dad just drove me out into the middle o' nowhere and left me behind. He never came back."

"That sounds bad." Tigger said.

"Yeah, but I've made some new friends on the way." Scott said, "After all, family doesn't have to be a bunch o' relatives. If there's people that really cares for ya, they're your family."

Tigger remained quiet as he continued bounching along next to Scott.

**Tigger**

A loud and boistrous tiger who enjoys bouncing and having fun. He's currently on a search to find his family. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.

**Winnie the Pooh**

A bear of very little brain, but who has a very good heart. He tends to be forgetful and mosty enjoys his time with friends or a jar of honey. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.

**Rabbit**

He's...well, a rabbit. He tends a garden and tends to be irritable (especially when Tigger's involved). But he genuinely means well and tends to be knowledgeable. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.


	69. Revelation

Chapter 67: Revelation

Radiant Garden...

J and Mark stood apart from each other, simply staring at each other. J then blinked before changing into a tiger and running at the other superhuman. Mark's response was to change into a gorilla and knock him away. J changed back before turning into a crocodile and rushing at the ape, his jaws wide open. Mark changed into a hawk before flying out of his reach. J changed back with a scowl. Mark landed on a nearby roof before changing back.

"How did you do that?" J asked.

"Do what?" Mark asked, taking out his 3DS and turning it on.

"Change from gorilla to hawk without changing back!" J explained, sounding frustrated.

"Oh, it's pretty simple." Mark shrugged.

"No, I remember why we left you behind in the first place." J muttered.

"It requires a bit of willpower." Mark said, "Your mind must be free and relaxed, able to jump between forms without hitch. Your problem is that you're too rigid. You can only go form-normal-form-normal, instead of just form-form-form-form. If you want to master it, you have to become more flexible."

"How do you know that?" J asked, changing into a pidgeon and flying over to Mark and changing back.

"Whenever I can't use a power, I just sit down and examine how it works and why that person has that power." Mark replied, "April tends to view herself on a higher level than most people...well, in terms of sanity. So, she can fly over them. She's also free-spirited, so she's able to control the wind. Scott prepares himself for any situation, so he can do the same with his body. Ryan's bright and full of life, so his power is absorbing and gaining power from solar radiation. You view yourself as a caged animal, so you can change into any animal."

"I know. You already told me." J replied.

"What? It sounds cool." Mark said, "Considering my personality, it's understandable why I can master your power better than you."

"So, in order to master this power..." J stated.

"You have to change." Mark replied, sounding serious as he closed his portable console to look at J, "I know it won't be easy, but if you wish to master your powers and stand a chance against Sylar if he comes for a second round, you'll have to."

J simply looked at his gloved fist with his scarlet eyes. He then pulled back his glove to show a rather ugly-looking scar on his wrist. In the center was a small, silver node. He closed his eyes.

_Jason was a child with bright, blue eyes. He laughed out loud as he looked through the castle of Radiant Garden. He was playing hide-and-seek with his sister, Karen and his cousin, Kairi. He searched through room after room. He found a bedroom and flung the sheets off, showing a seven-year-old Kairi._

"_Found ya!" he laughed._

"_No fair, Jason!" Kairi said with a smile._

"_Now, let's find Karen." Jason said, running off with Kairi. The two searched through the castle, but heard a giggling coming from a large wardrobe. Kairi grabbed the door and pulled it open, showing a girl with long, black hair._

"_Nice try." Kairi smiled._

_Karen's response was to pale as a loud siren began to blare. The doors were open as a man stepped into the castle._

"_I've been looking for you for a long time." Said Sylar as he walked over. He tossed Kairi aside with a flick of his finger. She hit her head on the wall and fell unconscious. Sylar then began to advance on Jason and Karen. Jason stood in front of Karen, though he looked just as terrified, "Okay, you first."_

_Sylar grabbed J with telekinesis. However, Heartless were gathering at the front gate, ready to consume hearts._

"_I'll find you later." Sylar growled, pulling out a small node. He made a wound above J's wrist and put it in before quickly stitching it back together._

_Everything went black as the Heartless entered the room._

J sighed as he continued looking at his wound, "Whenever I say my name's said aloud, I think that it sets off an alarm and he showed up."

"But that Nobody found him and he couldn't respond when your name was used earlier." Mark stated, "Well, that was nice, but what was the point of that?"

"Reflection." J simply said, "Let's get back to training."

J shifted into a cobra and hissed.

"Don't leave an obvious weak-point." Mark smiled before changing into a mongoose.

—

Hundred Acre Wood...

April and Pooh had landed in front of a rather simplistic-looking house made of sticks. They found out that Roo wasn't home from his mother, Kanga. The resident of this house was a rather gloomy-looking donkey with a tail nailed to his backside.

"Hello, Eeyore." Pooh said.

"Oh, hello, Pooh." The donkey said in a low, bland tone. He then gave a defeated sigh before saying, "Nice to see you."

"I'm April." April said, kneeling in front of Eeyore to look him in the eye, "We were wondering, have you seen a bouncing tiger and a guy who sounds funny around here?"

"No, not that I would remember if I did." Eeyore sighed.

"HULLO!" came a voice. Tigger bounced on top of Eeyore's house, crushing it, before bouncing away, "TIGGER FAMILY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Sorry about that, mate!" Scott said, following after Tigger.

Eeyore stared at what happened with wide eyes before sighing, "Well, back to the drawing board."

"Well, that was easy." April said, flying after the two with Pooh in her arms, "Scott, everyone's concerned about Tigger. He's obsessed with this."

"The guy's just tryin' to find his family." Scott said, not looking at his girlfriend, "An' I just wanna help him."

"And I'm starting to think that YOU'RE obsessed with this." April stated.

"Not a single, stripety tree in sight." Tigger muttered.

"He's tryin' to find his family tree." Scott explained, "Kinda confused on what that means."

"Glad to see you manage things in a calm, clear-minded way." April sighed, voice filled with a frustrated sarcasm.

"Tigger!" came a voice. A small joey hopped over, catching up with them, "I was wondering if I could help you find your family!"

"If I find my family, we can all do the Whoopty-Dooper Loopty Looper Ally-Ooper bounce together!" Tigger said, more to himself, "Only the best bouncers can do it!"

"Whoopty-Dooper Loopy Lopper...try saying that five times fast." April said.

"Could I do it?" asked the joey.

"It's a very powerful bounce and is only for professionals, Roo." Tigger replied.

The group then arrived to a large tree. Tigger then ran inside his house with Roo following him.

"Poor Tigger, he seems to have lost his family." Pooh said, "I forgot I had one...then again, I tend to remember to forget things."

"When we first met, he was annoying, but now I kinda like him." April said to herself. She then looked at Scott before saying, "Scott...you have abandonment issues. Everyone knows that—you're afraid of being left behind. You hide it, but when we started going out, you kept on the defensive for a while. What your dad did was very bad, but you need to accept the fact that you have a different family."

Scott's gaze was fixated on a tree off in the distance.

_Scott was ten. He was in his parents' house, playing a game of chess with his mother. She was a tall and beautiful woman, Scott had inherited her hair and eyes._

"_An' that's checkmate." She said in a lighter version of Scott's accent._

"_Aw, ma..." Scott groaned._

"_Don't worry, Scottie, you'll get better in time." She said, ruffling her son's hair._

"_Don't call me 'Scottie', ma." Scott said, looking up with a small smirk._

"_No matter how old you get, you'll always be Scottie to me." She replied, walking over to hug Scott. There was a sudden knocking at the door, "Who could that be?"_

_She walked over and Scott reset the chess pieces. He then heard a commotion as his mother said, in a harsh voice, "Robert's not here! You'll have to come back later!"_

_He heard something as she screamed. He ran into the entryway and saw a man in a cloak. Then everything went black._

"She was killed..." he said to himself.

"What?" April asked.

"My ma." Scott replied, "She was killed a few months before the fall of Radiant Garden. I don't know what happened, everythin' past that's blank."

Snow began to fall from the sky, soon covering the ground with snow. Scott stood up and walked away, lost in thought. April followed after him. Scott walked deep into the woods, thinking to himself.

"That Xijm bloke I met...he rings a sorta bell..." Scott murmured, "Maybe...maybe..."

_Scott entered the entryway to see his mother in a pool of blood._

"_MOM!" he yelled, looking up at a tall man in the doorway. He had a square jaw and short, brown hair._

"_Get out now!" he shouted as a mechanical tentacle flew from out of his back and hit Scott across the head._

"He killed 'er..." Scott said, eyes springing open, "Xijm...he then hit ME an' I think the concussion caused me to forget about it."

April simply gasped. He remained silent for a second before punching a tree so hard that it drew blood from his hand. He looked at his bloody knuckles as a look of rage crossed his face.

However, this was cut short as Tigger walked out with a locket around his neck and a scrap of paper. They heard him say, in a saddened voice, "Somewhere out there's a REAL Tigger tree and a REAL Tigger family!"

Tigger walked by before starting to bounce. A solid half-hour passed as Tigger's trail was soon followed by Rabbit, Pooh, Roo, and Eeyore.

"TIGGER!" they were all shouting.

"What's up?" April asked.

"The sky, trees, and a rather large amount of snow." Pooh replied, "Meanwhile, we are on an expotition to find Tigger."

"Expotition?" April asked.

"He means 'expedition'." Rabbit replied.

"Why'd Tigger leave like that?" April asked.

"I wanted to show Tigger that he really did have a family." Roo replied, "But it just made him worse."

"Scott, you want to help?" April asked. Scott just continued glaring at his knuckles, "Scott, you always went out of your way to help others." Scott gave no response, "Fine, just stay here then."

April stormed off, leaving Scott alone. She followed the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood after Tigger.

Elsewhere, Tigger bounced up a tree that had snow patterned like stripes on its branches.

"Tiggers! HULLOO! I GOT YOUR LETTER!" Tigger called, waving the letter. When he got no response, he looked depressed as he sniffled, "But...I thought you were always there for me..."

"Tigger!" April and the ihabitants called out as they followed him.

"Tiggers?" Tigger asked, bouncing down, "Hey...you're not Tiggers. What're you doing out here?"

"Coming to save you." April replied.

"Could you please come back with us, Tigger." Pooh said.

"NO!" Tigger shouted.

"NO?! What do you mean 'no'?!" Rabbit shouted, indignantly, "It's DANGEROUS out here!"

"I know! That's why you should go back, but I have to stay in my family tree and FIND MY FAMILY!" Tigger replied, shouting in a distressed voice.

This last proclamation caused a large rumbling sound.

"I-I-I hope th-that's a rumbly in your tumbly, Pooh Bear..." Piglet whimpered.

April looked up as she saw an avalanche coming their way. She growled as she waved her arms in an arching motion. A gust of wind picked up and caused a small bit of the snow to blow away.

"I need to learn how to use this power..." she growled before grabbing Eeyore and Rabbit and flying up to the branches, out-of-reach of the coming avalanche.

Tigger grabbed Roo, Pooh, and Piglet before bouncing them out of the way and putting them next to Rabbit and Eeyore. However, the act of bouncing so many times exhausted Tigger, who fell onto a boulder that was quickly swept away by the snow.

"TIGGER!" Roo yelled. He then coiled up his tail and upper torso. His body then began to rapidly spin before he jumped over to the boulder, "Tigger! Tigger! Wake up!"

"Roo?" Tigger asked as he slowly came to.

"G'DAY!" came another voice as something erupted from the snow. It was something covered in thick, brown fur and wearing a tricorn hat.

"Scott? You came back!" April called.

"Yeah, conscience had to take over sooner or later!" Scott laughed as he grabbed Tigger and Roo before climbing onto the rock before jumping off and tossing them into the air. He yelled as his arms shifted into rather large wings. He flew inot the air and caught the two before reaching the tree and depositing the two.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't stay away for long..." April said with a shiver, "If I knew that a snowstorm was blowing by..."

Scott's response was to pull April into a hug. At that point, the snowstorm began to clear up and a ray of sunshine came through the clouds.

"Thanks for savin' me." Tigger said, "But...I still don't have a family."

"Mate, ya got one right here." Scott said, gesturing to Roo, Pooh, Rabbit, Piglet, and Eeyore, "Like I said earlier—if ya got people who care about ya, they're your family."

Tigger looked at his friends. He thought for a second before he smiled.

"I'm sorry you don't have a better sorry, Tigger." Pooh said.

"Sorry?" Tigger asked, bouncing over to hug the bear, "I already got the bestest family there is!"

Tigger's locket then began to glow. Scott held out the lady key as a beam of light flew from the tip. It hit the locket and dragged a piece of parchment out of it. April caught it.

"Well, the last map piece we've got." April smiled, "Let's get going now."

"Yeah, guess we should." Scott said, "See ya, everyone!"

"Just stop by once in a while to be with my family!" Tigger exclaimed.

"I promise." Scott nodded. The two look at the sky before vanishing.

_The cover of Hundred Acre Wood's book slowly closed. The cover changed to show Tigger with Scott and April behind him._

**Eeyore**

A rather gloomy and unfortunate donkey. Every time he makes a house of sticks, it falls apart immediately afterwards. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.

**Roo**

A young kangaroo. He's often seen hanging around Tigger and considers him an older brother. It took him a while, but he finally learned the Whoopty-Dooper Loopty Looper Ally-Ooper bounce. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.

**Piglet**

A small and timid piglet who's insecure because of his size. He's a very close friend to Pooh. He first appeared in _Winnie the Pooh_.


	70. Oogie Town

Chapter 68: Oogie Town

Halloween Town...

_Ghosts moaned as they flew out a series of pumpkins. They eventually formed the words "Halloween Town" before fading away._

Riku and co. were standing in the Pumpkin Square. Riku looked over his look in this world—bright red skin with horns poking out of his forehead. He was a demon again.

"Well, it's been a while since I saw this." Riku shrugged as he looked at the rest of his team.

Depth was now wearing rusted plate armor. His face was concealed by a rather hideous-looking mask as his head was covered by a kabuto with a manta ray-shaped crest on it. Judging by the arrows lodged in his back, he was a zombie samurai.

"This is a trasnformation that I can get into." Depth stated, voice showing a small hint of satisfaction.

Mickey now had green skin, as if resembling some sort of reptile, and had sharp, yellow teeth. He was now a gremlin (1).

"Haven't seen anything like this before." Mickey said.

Cecil, on the other hand, was currently in his Dark Knight armor...but was missing a head. He began feeling around the space where his head used to be.

"Oh...well, this is peculiar." he murmured.

"Can you...see anything?" Riku asked. Cecil folded his arms in front of him. Riku simply gave a confused look.

"Oh, you cannot see me nodding." Cecil said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Is this a ghost town or something?" Mickey asked, looking around, "No pun intended."

Indeed, the entire town was deserted. Riku was concerned about this. The last time he had been to this world, it was bustling with activity. Now, there wasn't anyone in sight.

Suddenly a skeleton fell down in front of them. It moved in a jerky manner, similar to how a puppet would move.

"Oh, hey." Riku said, walking over. He was already familiar with the terrifying appearances of Halloween Town's residents, "I'm Riku. These are Mickey, Depth, and Cecil. Could ya tell us where Jack is...or anyone?"

The skeleton let out a terrifying roar before it raised its arms. More skeletons appeared and took up the same pose.

"Something tells me that these things aren't friendly." Depth growled, summoning his Keyblade and holding it in a battle-ready position.

The Skeletons flew at the group. Riku, Depth, and Mickey slashed through them with their respective Keyblades as Cecil held out his lance.

"Let us cross swords in the name of dreams!" he proclaimed, charging at the skeletons and impaling one.

Depth destroyed a skeleton. Riku yelled as he slashed through one and sent out a Dark Firaga, causing it to fall to pieces. Mickey evaded strikes before knocking off a skeleton's head.

"What the heck is up with these things?" Riku asked with a growl as he slashed at the last skeleton, causing it to fall apart.

"You want an answer from ME?" Depth asked, giving Riku a harsh glare.

"Perhaps we may discover this by venturing further." Cecil said.

"Good idea." Mickey said as the group walked into the square.

The whole place was deserted. Riku walked over to the fountain, which was still pouring out the eerie, green-colored liquid that it always did. Suddenly, something erupted from it and Riku jumped back, startled. It was a tall, gangly skeleton clad in a tuxedo.

"Greetings, newcomers!" the skeleton exclaimed.

"Jack!" Riku yelled.

"Why if it isn't Riku?" Jack asked, "I was wondering if you would be around at any point! It's so good to see you! And...who're your friends?"

"I'm Mickey." Mickey said.

"Cecil Harvey, at your service." Cecil said, bowing.

"Depth." Depth grunted.

"Jack, what's going on here?" Riku asked, "Where is everyone and what's with those skeletons?"

"Someone stitched Oogie Boogie back up." Jack answered, "And now, he wants vengeance. He even kidnapped Sally!"

"Well, looks like we're roped into an adventure again..." Riku said to his group. He summoned Treasure Seeker and could tell by its erratic glowing that the usual interference was happening, "And it looks like we have Heartless to deal with."

The group then took off into Halloween Town. Along the way, they encountered Wight Knights, Search Ghosts, and Gargoyles. Cecil pierced through a Wight Knight's face with a thrust of his lance as Depth sent a Thundaga Disk at a Gargoyle.

"Remember, Riku." Cecil said, "Your darkness is not something to fear. Fear is what gives your darkness power!"

"Thanks for the tip." Riku replied, sending out a Dark Firaga to destroy another Gargoyle.

Their campaign was short-lived as they heard something. They looked over and saw a walking bath tub trundle by. Inside were three children—two boys and a girl, all in costumes. The boys were a devil and skeleton monster while the girl was dressed as a witch.

"Maybe those three have something to do with this." Riku said.

"But what would children have to do with this chaos?" Cecil asked.

"Those three are the most mischievous in all Halloween Town and don't really know when to stop a prank." Jack answered, "And they worked for Oogie Boogie. With him back, they're probably working for him again."

"Then let's get 'em!" Depth growled, running after them.

"He's rather impulsive." Mickey said as the others began following after the future Keywielder.

"Lock, Shock, Barrel!" Jack called as they approached.

"Oh hi, Jack!" called the girl, Shock.

"Do you three have anything to do with what's happening?" Mickey asked.

"Maybe, but you've gotta catch us first!" the first boy, Lock, laughed.

"You're going so slow that we can catch up with you, easily." Depth stated, "How can you-"

Suddenly, the tub sprouted large, bat-like wings and took off into the air. Riku reached deep within himself and let out a yell. A burst of dark energy erupted from him and hit the tub, shattering it into a million pieces. The three yelled as they fell to the ground.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." Cecil said.

"RUN!" Lock yelled as he and Shock ran off, leaving Barrel behind.

"WAIT FOR ME!" Barrel screamed, running after them.

"Hey, I think they dropped something." Mickey said, walking over and picking something up—a large piece of wood shaped like a Jack-O'-Lantern.

"That's the door to Halloween Town!" Jack said, taking the door, "Oogie must have done something with the holidays."

There was then a rather audible laugh as something erupted from the shadows. It resembled a certain bug-filled burlap sack, but it was made of darkness and had bright, yellow eyes.

"A Heartless!" Riku said, holding out the Treasure Seeker.

"One made to look like Oogie Boogie!" Jack added, taking up a combative pose.

"Welcome back, Jack!" laughed the Oogie Shadow, "Like what I've done with the place? I thought you'd like it!"

The Heartless then ran at them, slamming into Cecil, who was thrown back. Mickey slashed with his Keyblade, knocking the Shadow back. Jack cast a Fire spell, hitting the creature in the chest. It then sunk its hands into the ground, causing giant, bony hands made of darkness to erupt from the floor. It then slashed out, Riku, Jack, and Mickey dodging the blow as Depth held out his Keyblade to defend himself. He was knocked backward and sent into the nearest wall.

"LIGHT!" Cecil proclaimed, sending a blast of light at the Shadow. He then charged and stabbed one of the hands.

"THUNDAGA!" Depth yelled, sending a disk of lightning at the other hand, slicing it cleanly off.

"DARK FIRAGA!" Riku shouted, sending a burst of darkness at the Shadow, hitting it in the face.

"GRAVITY!" Jack proclaimed, pointing at the Shadow. A burst of high gravity caused the Oogie Shadow to get crushed onto the ground.

"Let's end this!" Mickey said, jumping over Jack and planting his Keyblade in the center of the Shadow's chest. It let out a shriek before vanishing in a puff of smoke. A door shaped like a clover appeared and Jack took it.

"We should try and find the others." Riku said, "Jack, do you have any ideas?"

"We should see the Doctor first." Jack replied, "He may know what to do."

"Then lead the way." Cecil said.

Jack ran towards a large tower and the others followed him.

**Jack Skellington**

The Pumpkin King and thus, the head of Halloween Town. A while ago, he became fascinated with Christmas and Heartless, but he seems to have learned his lesson. He left Halloween Town for a few months, but things seem to have gone wrong since then. He first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

**Lock, Shock, and Barrel**

Three trick-or-treaters who tend to focus more on tricks than treats. They've worked for Oogie Boogie on multiple occasions and seem to be doing so again. They first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

**Skeletons**

Animated skeletons created by Oogie Boogie as foot soldiers. They first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge_.

(1) Look inspired by the movie _Gremlins_.


	71. Brains and Ash

Chapter 69: Brains and Ash

The group soon arrived at the house of Doctor Finklestein. Depth reached for the handle, but recoiled quickly.

"What's up?" Riku asked.

"Something's putting electricity through this door." Depth answered.

Riku, to see what Depth was talking about, grabbed the handle. He let out a yell as he felt a jolt of electricity go through his hand.

"What do we do here?" Mickey asked.

"There must be a generator somewhere..." Jack murmured.

"Or we could just do this." Depth stated, summoning his Omega Weapon and stabbing it into the door. Electricity began coursing through it, but Depth simply shouted, "BLAST!"

A burst of blue magic erupted from the tip and exploded on contact with the door. The door was sent flying to the other side.

"Well, that was easy." Cecil said as he walked in.

The group began walking up the spiral stairs until they reached the top room. The body of a small man in a wheelchair with a giant head had his back turned to them.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" asked the doctor.

"Doctor, this is dangerous." Jack said, "Do you realize how many people have been endangered now?"

"Oh, I am aware." Finklestein said as he turned to face the group, his head popping open. Normally, a puce brain would be there, but now, there was a black brain with eerie, yellow eyes.

"He's being controlled by a Heartless!" Riku yelled, summoning his Keyblade.

"We need to get his normal brain into him!" Jack said, getting into a battle-ready position.

The brain inside Finklestein grew four spider-like brains as it lifted him off the ground. The eyes emerged as stalks and a set of razor-sharp teeth on a long jaw sprung out. It released a loud shriek before crawling onto the ceiling. Depth let out a roar as he jumped at the Heartless, which let out a wave of violet energy before tossing the Keybearer away. Mickey and Cecil jumped at it as well, but another wave of energy flew from it and directed their attacks at each other. It took a quick block form Mickey to stop them from injuring each other.

"So, this thing has telekinesis!" Jack proclaimed.

"It can control things with its mind." Depth said to Riku's confused look.

"And we can't rush it." Mickey stated.

"Perhaps magic then?" Cecil suggested.

"It's worth a shot." Riku said, "DARK FIRAGA!"

"FREEZE!" Jack shouted.

"THUNDER!" Depth shouted.

"LIGHT!" Cecil shouted.

A blast of darkness, frozen magic, electricity, and light burst from four of the fighters. They each hit the Evil Brain, causing it to shriek in pain. It then sent out another wave of telekinetic energy, causing Cecil and Riku to float into the air.

"Well, it seems as if we are getting to it!" Cecil said before they got hurled away.

The Evil Brain let out another shriek as it lifted debris and a lab table. It then shot it at the remaining fighters. Depth stepped forward and slashed through the table as Jack blasted away the pieces of stone. Mickey then shot a Light spell at the Evil Brain, hitting it. It was distracted and Riku and Cecil lunged at it, slashing its legs off. It fell to the floor and wriggled out of the Doctor's head. Depth walked over and put a foot onto the Evil Brain.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Depth asked, pointing his Keyblade at the Evil Brain and stabbing it.(1)

A wooden door shaped like a heart floated out. Mickey grabbed it and put it away.

"Now, to set things right." Jack said, running over to a table and picking up the brain that was on it. He slipped it into Finklestein's head and closing it.

"Ugh...what has happened?" Finklestein groaned as he pushed himself up.

"Oogie switched out your brain." Jack replied.

"My apologies." Finklestein said as he got back into his wheelchair, "I never thought that my brain would be switched. I do remember locking someone in a cabin on the outskirts of Halloween Town. Perhaps he could be of use to you."

"Well, let us be off then." Cecil said.

The group ran through the streets of Halloween Town. Whenever a Heartless appeared, it was swiftly dealt with. They soon arrived at a run-down cabin on the edge of a forest. The windows were boarded up and the door was chained shut.

"This should be easy to deal with." Cecil said, swinging his lance around before slashing it through the chains. The door swung open to show a small army of Heartless surrounding someone inside.

"We'll help!" Riku shouted, slashing through the Heartless. The man had a bloodied face, dark hair, a blue shirt, khaki pants, had a double-barrel shotgun in his right hand, and a bandaged stump where his left hand should have been.

"I can deal with them." The man growled, firing his shotgun and blowing away three Wight Knights, but more appeared to replace them.

"All evidence to the contrary." Depth replied, sending a lightning disk to cut through more Heartless.

"Plus, you've only got one hand." Mickey said, jumping over the Wight Knights and spinning to slash through them.

"Take THAT!" Jack shouted, casting an Anti-Gravity spell, causing more Heartless to fly up and crash into the ceiling.

"Well, this seems like an...interesting ally." Cecil said, impaling another Heartless.

"And you don't have a head." The man growled, shooting his shotgun.

Soon, the entire army of Heartless had vanished and the group began panting in exhaustion. A door shaped like a Turkey floated out and Mickey grabbed it.

"What's your name?" Riku asked.

"Ash." The man replied, "My name's Ash."

"Well, what were you doing out here, Ash?" Jack asked.

"I was out on a vacation, heard about what that bag of bugs was doing, and tried busting him up." Ash answered, waving his stump around, "One of the Heartless got my hand and I've been stuck in here ever since."

"What would this bag of bugs be doing?" Cecil asked.

"He's kidnapped the Holiday Leaders and wants to become the Seven Holidays King." Ash answered.

"And he's using the Heartless to do that." Depth stated.

"I called 'em Deadites, but Heartless works too, I guess." Ash said.

"Well, we've gotta stop Oogie Boogie before he can finish his plan!" Jack proclaimed.

"Not yet." Ash said, holding up his stump, "I've got something to fix up first."

The group walked down to a basement. They gathered some supplies—a shackle, a chainsaw, and a harness. Jack used a flame spell to weld the chainsaw to the shackle. Mickey strapped the new contraption to Ash's wrist as Riku and Cecil put the harness on Ash. With his mouth, Ash revved up the chainsaw and sawed the barrels of the shotgun in half. He spun the shotgun around before sliding it into the holster.

"Groovy." He simply said.

The group left with their new ally and saw Lock, Shock, and Barrel running around.

"Hey, you!" Riku shouted, the three froze in place.

"Oh great, they survived." Lock growled.

"You might not." Depth stated, summoning his Keyblade.

"If ya know what's good for you, you'd start talking." Ash said, holding up his chainsaw hand.

"Okay, how about THIS?" Shock asked as she held out a hand.

A pool of darkness appeared under the feet of the six. They writhed and tried to struggle free, but quickly vanished into it.

"They fell for it!" the three exclaimed.

Riku groaned as he came to, finding that they were in the middle of a large room with various panels and a large wheel in the center. The others slowly came to.

"Where are we?" Mickey asked.

"The lair of Oogie Boogie." Jack answered.

"Hello, Jack!" came a loud voice. The burlap-sack creature they fought before rose from the center of the wheel, "Are you gamblin' men? Well, I don't play fair!"

Oogie tossed a set of dice onto the ground, both of which landed on one.

"SNAKE EYES?!" he shouted, stomping on the ground. The dice shifted their position so that they both landed on six, "AHA! TWELVE!"

The wheel began to spin around at high speeds as large blades sprung down from the ceiling. Ash swung his chainsaw out, cleaving off one of the blades. Riku jumped over one as Cecil blocked a slash. Mickey rolled out of the way as Depth and Jack fired blasts of magic at Oogie, who dodged them. Ash fired his shotgun and grazed him with some of the buckshot, causing the bag of bugs to scream in pain.

"Gotcha, didn't I, you little sucker?" Ash asked with a cocky smirk.

"THIS is a coup-de-grace!" Riku shouted, jumping up to Oogie and impaling him with his Keyblade.

Oogie let out a shriek as he slowly fell to the ground. However, he quickly laughed as he sprung back up, the bag falling off to show that he was ANOTHER Heartless.

"You've been fightin' another Shadow!" The Heartless cackled in Oogie's voice, "I'm gonna be the Seven Holidays King...AFTER I have a little chat with Sandy Claws! Now, I'll swallow your hearts!"

Riku yelled as he sent another Dark Firaga at the Heartless, knocking it over. Ash strode over and pointed his shotgun at the Heartless.

"Swallow THIS." He simply said before pulling the trigger, blowing it to pieces.

"How many one-liners do you have?" Riku asked.

"A lot." Ash shrugged.

Another hunk of wood flew out, this one shaped like a red-and-blue striped firecracker.

"That's six doors." Mickey said, "We just have one left to go."

"The Christmas Door." Jack said, "We must find it soon or else something bad could happen to Sandy!"

Jack ran off at that point.

"Sandy Claws?" Cecil asked.

"Santa Clause." Riku filled in.

"Ah." Cecil nodded...or, Riku ASSUMED he nodded.

**Doctor Finklestein**

Halloween Town's local mad scientist. He was the one who built Sally and often assists Jack Skellington on his usual schemes. He first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

**Ashley "Ash" Williams**

A local at Halloween Town. He tried fighting Oogie Boogie, but the mind-swapped Finklestein trapped him away. His weapons of choice are a double-barrel shotgun and a chainsaw attached to his hand. He first appeared in _Evil Dead_.

**Oogie Boogie**

An evil, gambling bag of insects who once allied himself with Maleficent. He seemed to have died twice within two years, but now he's back again and he wants revenge on Jack. His scheme is to dispose of the holiday leaders and become the Seven Holiday King. He first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

**Evil Brain**

The Heartless that Oogie planted in Finklestein's head to control him. It has telekinetic abilities and a really bad temper.

(1)When I was writing that, "Bad to the Bone" began playing.


	72. Pumpkin King

Chapter 70: Pumpkin King

The others followed Jack to the Hinterlands, where the holiday worlds could cross over. In a small clearing, there were six trees, each one representing the great holidays (outside Halloween in this particular one)-Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and the Fourth of July. Where the doors should have been, however, were their outlines with pictures of Oogie Boogie within them.

"I think we know what we should do here." Riku said.

The group pulled out the doors they collected and pressed them against their respective doorways. The only remaining door was the one to Christmas Town.

"Where's the one to Christmas?" Mickey asked.

"You're askin' ME?" Ash asked.

"Perhaps we would be better off searching the town again." Cecil suggested.

The six then began returning to Halloween Town. When they got to a bridge, however, there was a loud, rumbling noise. With a loud CRUNCH, two large forms appeared. One was a giant, frozen skeleton with a helmet and a large hammer while the other one was a charred-black skeleton clad in gladiator armor and wielding a red, wicked-looking sword.

"Ah crap." Ash cursed, revving up his chainsaw hand. He jumped at the Ice King. Their weapons collided, but Ash's chainsaw was quickly deflected.

"Perhaps a bit more strategy should be used." Cecil suggested.

"Well, I have one idea." Mickey said, "Fire always beats ice."

"I get it!" Riku grinned as the Fire Frenzy slashed at them. They narrowly dodged, the strike as Riku, Jack, and Cecil held their hands out.

"DARK FIRAGA!" Riku and Cecil shouted.

"FIRE!" Jack proclaimed.

Three fireballs flew out, two blue ones and a red one, and struck the Ice King in the chest. The monster let out a shriek as it recoiled, but brought its hammer down. Ash held up his boomstick.

"Let's try this AGAIN." Ash smirked, pulling the trigger. Buckshot flew form the barrel, hitting the Ice Frenzy full in the face, knocking it down with a skull shattered like glass.

"Now, onto THIS guy." Riku growled as Fire King slashed at them again.

"Any ideas for this one?" Depth asked Mickey.

"This...is gonna be a little trickier." Mickey conceded, summoning his Keyblade and blocking the slash. He then rolled away and slashed with his Keyblade. The strike simply bounced off its armor.

Ash growled as he fired his boomstick at the Fire King. However, the blast seemed to have no affect on the monster whatsoever.

"Okay, better strategy than shooting it..." Ash growled, holding up his chainsaw hand.

"We beat Ice King with Fire, so maybe we should-" Riku said. Depth gave Riku a look that said, 'I haven't heard your idea, but it sucks already'. Riku stared at Depth for a solid second before asking him, "What ideas do YOU have?!"

Depth simply let out a grunt before Riku held out his hand.

"DARK BLIZZARA!" he shouted.

Instead of a simple ball of ice crystals shooting out, a blizzard of dark blue shards flew from Riku's hand. It was a trick Cecil taught him—apparently, Firaga wasn't the only magic capable of being imbued with dark powers. Blizzara, Thundara, and almost every other form of magic could be channeled using his inner darkness.

The ice shards hit the Fire King, which let out a roar of pain.

"ASH!" Riku shouted, jumping over to their compatriot.

"Groovy!" Ash smirked, revving up his chainsaw.

Riku jumped onto Ash's shoulders and the two ran at the Fire King, which brought its axe smashing down again. Ash dodged it as he brought his chainsaw down, cutting through the axe. Riku then jumped off and shot another Dark Blizzara at the Fire King before Ash jumped up and fired his boomstick at the monster. The Fire King let out a groan as it fell to the ground in a heap. Riku then grabbed Ash's shotgun and fired a blast of dark energy at the monster, destroying it. He then tossed the gun back to Ash, who spun it around on his finger.*

"Well, that was easy." Cecil said.

"I'll say." Ash grunted.

Out of the Fire King's body arose a door shaped like a Christmas Tree. Jack reached out and grabbed it.

"We have the last door now, friends!" Jack proclaimed, "Now, we can get to Christmas Town and save Sandy Claws!"

"Who the heck is Sandy Claws?" Ash asked.

"He means Santa Claus." Riku explained.

"But what about the other holidays?" Cecil asked.

"I'll stay behind to set them free." Mickey replied, "You and Depth can stay here to try and find 'em."

"Fine." Depth scoffed.

"Well, it's just the three of us." Jack said, "It won't be difficult for me, the Pumpkin King!"

"Hey, Skellington, right now you're king of two things." Ash stated, walking back to the hollow, "Jack and squat and Jack left town."

"You're a rather coarse fellow, you know that?" Jack asked.

"And?" Ash simply shrugged.

"Guys, we've got other issues to deal with." Riku said.

Later...

Riku, Jack, and Ash returned to the hollow and placed the Christmas Town door into the slot. Jack then turned the knob and opened it, showing that the tree was hollow with snow coming down. Jack hopped in before Riku and Ash. The three were spiralling through the vortex before being spat out into the snow.

"Not the worst fall I've gotten..." Ash growled, standing up.

"I don't wanna know." Riku murmured.

The three got to their feet and gasped as they saw fires going on around Christmas Town.

"This must be Oogie Boogie's doing!" Jack proclaimed.

"Let's go whip him then." Ash said, pulling out his boomstick.

The three ran into town just in time to see Heartless attacking the elves. Ash's immediate response was to fire his shotgun, obliterating one Heartless. Riku charged in, slashing at the Heartless and causing them to vanish as Jack used magic to destroy them.

"Where is Sandy Claws?" Jack asked.

"W-we think Oogie Boogie's got him." one of the elves replied, fearfully.

"Why am I not surprised?" Riku asked.

"Because it's completely obvious that the bag of bugs has 'im." Ash stated.

"Oh, I must be losin' my touch!" came a loud voice. The three looked to one of the rooftops to see that Oogie Boogie was standing on top of Santa's workshop with said holiday figure under one of his arms.

"Let Santa go!" Riku said.

"Hmm...NAH!" Oogie laughed, "I'd rather be the Seven Holiday King instead! And what're ya gonna do-"

BANG!

Oogie yelled as buckshot hit part of the building, causing it to crumble away. The cause of this was obvious. Ash blew some smoke off his shotgun.

"Yeah, listen up, ya bug-filled screw-head." He said, holding the shotgun up, "THIS is my BOOMSTICK! It's a 12-gauge, double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. Its got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right, shop smart. Shop S-Mart. YOU GOT THAT?!"

'Is he insane?' Riku simply thought, but already had a good guess about the answer already. He said nothing as he quickly ran over and grabbed Santa Claus.

"Thank you, young man." Santa said.

"No problem, sir." Riku replied, quickly darting away.

"You DARE disrespect me?!" Oogie shouted, getting to his feet.

"Yeah, guess I do." Ash said.

"Well, it doesn't matter!" Oogie shouted as darkness began to flow around him, "I will STILL be the Seven Holiday King!"

Meanwhile...

Back in Halloween Town, the other three members searched the town for the other holiday figures. The Heartless seemed to have vanished after they defeated the Fire and Ice Kings, something that they were all thankful for. Finding the holiday figures would be hard enough without fighting Heartless to get to them.

"Only one place we haven't checked." Cecil reported, gesturing to the mayor's office.

"Hopefully, we'll find them there." Mickey said as the three entered the office.

Nothing was there.

"Perfect." Depth muttered as he began searching around, "There's probably a secret opening somewhere. Try and find it."

Mickey and Cecil joined in the search. After a while, Depth moved the desk and saw a descending staircase.

"A rather obvious point, not that I complain." Cecil said.

The three descended the staircase, going deeper and deeper into the basement.

"Why would the mayor of Halloween Town keep a chamber this deep?" Depth asked.

"Possibly an addition of Oogie Boogie's after he took over?" Cecil suggested.

"I think that's the best option." Mickey said before they reached a closed door at the end of the staircase.

Depth let out a roar as he drove his Omega Weapon through the door and kicked it open. The three entered into a circular room and saw four prison cells, each with a different prisoner. Locked within the cells were Uncle Sam, Cupid, a leprechaun, a turkey, and a pink rabbit.

"Don't worry, we'll let you out!" Mickey proclaimed, summoning his Keyblade and pointing them at a cell. Depth summoned his own Keyblade and followed suit. Beams of light erupted from their Keyblades and unlocked all the cells. The other holiday figures ran out as fast as they could. Mickey then turned to Cecil and said, "Cecil, go find Riku and tell him that the others are free now."

"It will be my honor." Cecil said with a bow. He then took off running.

He soon arrived at the Christmas Town door, opened it, and entered into Christmas Town. He landed on his feet in the snow and quickly sprinted towards the town.

"Riku! Jack! Ash!" he called as he saw the three, "The other holiday figures have been freed! Oogie's plan has been-"

"That's good, Cecil." Riku growled. Cecil then noticed the giant, patchwork figure rising from the snow. Riku had his Treasure Seeker at the ready, Ash was revving up his chainsaw, and Jack was in a battle-ready pose, "But we've still gotta take him out!"

"That's Oogie Boogie?" Cecil asked, drawing his lance.

"Indeed, it is." Jack replied, "Now, we must defeat him and save Christmas!"

"Ya sound like a TV special, ya know that?" Ash asked before he charged at Oogie, slashing out with his chainsaw hand and ripping a large hole inot him.

Oogie let out a roar as darkness oozed from the wound before grabbing Ash and slamming him into the ground. Cecil lunged at Oogie with his lance ready to impale him only to be knocked aside by another tendril of darkness.

"DARK THUNDAGA!" Riku shouted, thrusting out his hand.

Black electricity erupted from his fingertips and hit Oogie, who let out another pained noise. Jack then performed his own Thundaga spell, causing bolts of lighting to come down from the skies and hit him. This seemed to have some effect, but Oogie simply brought his arms sweeping around, knocking the Keyblade Master and Pumpkin King aside.

"Hey!" Ash shouted, standing up and loading a set of rounds into his shotgun, "Ya wanna get nuts? C'mon, let's get nuts!"

He fired a shot at Oogie Boogie and charged at him, bringing his chainsaw into the mass of darkness again. More tendrils of darkness burst from Oogie Boogie and wrapped around Ash's limbs. He then slowly began to absorb the psychotic fighter into him.

"HEY!" Ash shouted, trying to struggle free.

Cecil then charged at Oogie again, his lance at the ready.

"LIGHT!" he shouted, sending a burst of golden light at the monster.

It had no effect. The light simply bounced off Oogie, who sent out more tendrils to grab Cecil and bring him into himself with Ash.

"Maybe a better strategy was in order..." Cecil said.

"Ya think?!" Ash shouted.

"JACK!" Riku shouted.

"YES!" Jack proclaimed. The two sprung into the air. Riku held out his hand as a Dark Firaga erupted from it as Jack followed suit, sending blasts of Firaga at Oogie Boogie. The bombardment continued, seeming to have no effect before Jack shouted, "I AM THE PUMPKIN KING!"

Riku and Jack began descending as a whirlwind of ghosts swirled around them. Everything went dark. Jack and Riku then appeared in front of Oogie Boogie, letting out terrifying roars. Oogie screamed at that point, releasing Ash and Cecil.*

"Alright, we're free." Ash sighed.

"But how do we defeat this thing?" Jack asked.

Cecil looked at Riku and the two suddenly had an idea. Riku had an idea when it came to dark powers—could it be possible to absorb them? He rushed at Oogie Boogie and slammed into the oozing wound as tendrils wrapped around it.

"You have all this power of darkness?" Riku asked as a bluish-gray flame surrounded him, "Then give it to me! ALL OF IT!"

Oogie let out a shriek of pain and terror as the darkness began to leave him. He shrivelled up as more and more of the dark energy flowed out of him and into Riku. Eventually, Oogie was back to his normal size and Riku was hunched over, darkness pouring out from him. It was too much power, it couldn't stay long.

"I've...gotta send it somewhere..." Riku growled, glaring at Oogie Boogie.

"No, NO! GET AWAY!" Oogie screamed, running away.

Riku thrust out his hand and sent a burst of dark power at him. The energy hit Oogie Boogie, full-on. He yelled in pain as the darkness consumed him, leaving only two feet with bugs oozing out. Riku sighed as he fell down in a heap.

"Well...Christmas is saved..." he panted, heavily.

"We should probably avoid doing that again, Riku." Cecil said, helping Riku to his feet.

Halloween Town...

The group exited Christmas Town and returned to the hollow, finding Mickey and Depth already there with a ragdoll.

"Jack!" exclaimed Sally, running over, "I was so worried..."

"Fear not, Sally, everything's alright now!" Jack replied, hugging her.

"Heh, reminds me of Linda." Ash said with a surprisingly soft expression.

The Treasure Seeker began to glow. He held it up to the sky. Instead of a single beam of light coming out of the tip, six did. Each one hit a different holiday door and pulled out different scraps of parchment. They then connected with a golden light and formed a single map piece, which Riku caught.

"We got what we came for, gentlemen." Cecil said, "Now, I suggest we depart."

"Yeah." Riku said as he looked up at the Gummi ship as it flew over them.

**Fire and Ice King**

A set of enemies created by Oogie Boogie. They can only be defeated by the other's elements. They first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge_.

**Santa Claus**

The jolly figure of Christmas. In Halloween Town, he seems to be the victim of other peoples' doings. He first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

**Sally**

A ragdoll who's also the servant of Doctor Finklestein and the girlfriend of Jack Skellington. She's usually reserved and more logical than the other residents of Halloween Town. She first appeared in _Nightmare Before Christmas_.

*Ash's 'Hail to the King'

*Jack's 'Knight of Nightmares'


End file.
